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Barrow polling locations
001
Bethlehem Community Center
750 Manger Avenue
Bethlehem. GA 30620
002
Fire Station 5 (County Line)
1292 Hwy 211 N.W.
Winder, GA 30680
003
Bramlett Elementary School
622 Freeman-Brock Rd
Auburn, GA 30011
004
Westside Middle School
240 Matthews School Rd
Winder, GA 30680
005
Fire Station I (Statham)
1625 Bethlehem Road
Statham, GA 30666
006
Winder-Barrow High School
272 N. Fifth Avenue
Winder, GA 30680
007
Statham Elementary School
1970 Broad Street
Statham, GA 30666
008
Holsenbeck Elementary School
445 Holsenbeck School Road
Winder, GA 30680
009
Lions Club
354 F. Broad Street
Winder, GA 30680
010
Leisure Services Center
175 Second Street
Winder, GA 30680
011
Apalachee High School
940 Haymon Morris Rd
Winder, GA 30680
012
Fire Station 4
(Auburn)
1335 Fourth Avenue
Auburn, GA 30011
013
Winder Community Center
113 E. Athens Street
Winder, GA 30680
014
Cedar Creek Baptist Church
403 Cedar Creek Rd
Winder, GA 30680
015
County Line Elementary School
334 Rockwell Church Rd
Winder, GA 30680
016
Bethlehem First Baptist Church
548 Christmas Avenue
Bethlehem, GA 30620
news@barrowcountynews.com
Forty percent of Barrow County’s 33,885 registered voters have already cast their ballots for Tuesday’s General Election.
"We voted 13,828 in person before Election Day," said Election Supervisor Kristi Royston, who had indicated she hoped to see at least a 25 turnout in advance of Nov. 4. She got her wish – and more.
Royston also had smooth sailing during Advance Voting, thanks to her staff and team of election workers and a well-planned and -executed process to get voters into the Administrative Annex to vote and then out and on their way.
During the week of Advance Voting, which ended Friday at 7 p.m., another 6,673 votes were cast. On Friday, the largest voter turnout of 1,688 was accommodated.
Thursday logged 1,522 voters with 1,258 voting on Wednesday, 1,164 on Tuesday and 1,041 on Monday for a five-day Advance Voting total of 6,673.
In addition to early and Advance votes, mail-out absentees will also be counted on Tuesday when the polls close. While Royston’s office was busy handling the final day of Advance Voting, they were unable to compile a current tally on mail-out absentee ballots which had been returned.
"At last count, last Friday, we had 845 of those back," said Royston.
For the most part, Advance Voting rolled along well after Monday’s start was a bit slow due to state computer issues which were corrected by Tuesday.
On Friday, the busiest day of the week, the wait was never much longer than a hour and was usually closer to 20 minutes. At some times during the day, every chair in the commissioners’ meeting room was filled, though just for a moment, as the workers quickly collected clipboards from voters completing their forms.
Shortly the voter’s name was called and, after presenting a photo I.D., the voter received a yellow card to be inserted into the voting machine. After touching the screen to check the box of their candidates of choice, the voter could review their ballot onscreen, make an changes as needed and hit "Cast Ballot." The yellow card would kick out of the machine to be returned in exchange for a peach sticker which reads "I’m A Georgia Voter."
Philippe Belland, a four-year resident of Barrow County, said late Friday afternoon was his first Advance Voting experience and it was his first time being in the commissioners’ meeting room. He said he was pleased with the experience.
Around 2:35 p.m., Joey Bagwell and Richard J. Bradley made their way to the voting area. Forty minutes later with votes cast – the first time either had opted to vote early, they were headed out the door. Bagwell said the talk of friends from other counties, such as where long lines were the norm at Gwinnett County’s multiple Advance Voting sites, prompted him the Advance Vote to avoid Tuesday’s likely wait.During the five weeks of Early Voting which began Sept. 22, Barrow County had 7,155 to cast ballots at its lone early voting site, the Barrow County Administrative Annex. Early in the voting, a single machine was set up in the Elections Office. As voter turnout began to increase during the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work day, additional voting machines were set up in the training room.
Advanced Voting was conducted Oct. 27-31 in the commissioners’ meeting room upstairs in the Barrow County Administrative Annex. It will be in that room that elections will results will be displayed on the large scrolling screen.
In an effort to cut down on spending, paper copies of the precinct results as they come in will not be provided for the General Electoin as they had been in the past to a growing number of interested persons.
According to Royston, instead, the precinct results will be posted on the Internet at: http://www.barrowga.org/vote08/precinct. Live results will be available at: http://www.barrowga.org/vote08/liveresults.
"As for Tuesday, people need to be sure to know that they’re going to the right polling location," said Royston, who urges citizens to call the Elections office to check that or go to the Secretary of State’s website(www.sos.georgia.gov) and use the poll locator.
"They also need to be sure to take one of the acceptable forms of photo ID," said Royston.
Seven of Barrow County’s 16 polling locations are schools so with the large turnout anticipated for the General Election, Tuesday is a planning/in-service day for teachers and school system staff but not a school day for students.
"Even though we’ve voted so many people ahead of Election Day, voters should still expect lines that day. I encourage everyone to take part in the experience and be proud to have the freedom to vote and choose our leaders," said Royston. "Please be patient and understanding when having to wait in line and know that there are people in other countries that would love to have the chance to stand in line and vote."
