Only four votes cast during first weekend of early voting – LaGrange Daily News

After a full week of early voting in the race between Jim Arrington and Terry Stanford for the District 1 council seat, voter turnout is exceedingly low.

A total of 233 people have voted as of the close of polls on Monday. Even more surprising, only four people voted during the first of two weekend voting days on Saturday.

Elections Supervisor Andy Harper said the turnout has been particularly low compared to the elections that he has seen. With 9,948 people eligible to vote in the election, only 2.3 percent have cast early ballots.

“We can’t hold their hands. All we can do is open the polls,” Harper said.

If early voting numbers are any indication, the election is likely to have an extremely low overall turnout. Troup County typically sees large numbers of early voters. It’s usually about half voting early, Harper has said.

Voters in LaGrange may be experiencing voter fatigue with four elections since November. That’s four elections in only eight months, so about one every other month.

With 10 early voting days left —including one final Saturday on June 10— there’s still time to get out and cast an early ballot.

Early voting polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Troup County Government Center Monday through Friday until June 16. On Saturday, June 10 polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The early voting turnout could be ticking up after the exceedingly low Saturday. Harper said 64 votes were cast on Monday.

The turnout could also be low because voters have not made up their minds yet. Arrington and Stanford will face off in a forum hosted by the LaGrange-Troup Chamber of Commerce and The LaGrange Daily News on June 8 at 6 p.m. The forum will be live-streamed on the LDN Facebook page.

Election Day for the District 1 council seat is set for June 20.