Elections officials say they are ready for runoff
ATLANTA - It is one of the closest watched races in Georgia’s history, Republican Karen Handel faces Democrat Jon Ossoff in a runoff for the 6th District Congressional seat left vacation following Tom Price’s appointment to the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration.
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In the initial election in April, Fulton County faced a delay in voting due to technical difficulties, but is everything set for Tuesday’s runoff tally?
Fulton County is still under investigation for what happened in April. The director of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections said what happened in April will not happen again.
"We don't have that issue this time because we only have one database," said Richard Barron. "That's normal. 99.9 percent of the elections have one database."
In April, Barron said they dealt with three databases and three different authorities calling three different elections. This election has one focus. They said they are trying to be proactive and prepare for everything that could happen. The board even increased security and some people will cast their vote in a new location.
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"We've had nine locations change," said Barron. "So we will have people at those locations directing people to the new locations."
Overall, Barron said he does not expect more than 40,000 people at the polls because most people voted early. Barron said about 80,000 voters made up early and went ahead to vote.
While they tried to predict any trouble that may come their way, Barron said there are a lot of moving parts, so they will not be able to guarantee a problem-free election.
"You put 500 poll workers into the field at 63 locations and you have 117 precincts and you know maybe thirty to forty thousand voters come out, something's gonna happen. You just manage the issues as they arise," said Barron.
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One issue many in the 6th District have cited all of the contact they have received from campaigners.
"It's something we've never seen before, my wife gets calls every day from unknown numbers and when she does answer it's someone asking who she voted for or if she needs information," said voter Ross Overstreet.
Overstreet said they have gotten tons of flyers as well and most of them from Jon Ossoff's campaign.
"We are definitely seeing Jon Ossoff 10-to-1 on the outreach and the materials," said Overstreet.
LeaAnn Larson, anther voter in the district said she has seen a similar ratio.
"I just think they are going way over the top and I wish there were limits," said Larson.
While this campaigning got 80,000 people to the polls early, the ones FOX 5 News spoke to said their minds were made up before all of the contact.
"We haven't changed who we are voting for from the beginning and we are excited to vote tomorrow," said Overstreet, who does not have a sign in his yard. "Everything’s so divided right now, the country that I don't want to have whichever side I’m on I don't really want to put it out there unnecessarily. I feel like it divides people and it's not necessary."
Regardless of the side, voters said they are just ready for the election to be over and done.