Gwinnett Election Early Results: County Backing Clinton in Late Returns

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — With 154 of 157 precincts reporting, Gwinnett County was backing Democrat Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in Tuesday's election.

In those returns in the county, Clinton was leading Trump by a margin of 154,930 to 135,521.

Gwinnett has traditionally been a reliable Republican County.

The vote came with Georgia's 16 electoral votes hanging in the balance of what was expected to be a closer-than-usual presidential tilt in the state.

At First Baptist Church of Lilburn, Anne Bridges said she cast her ballot for Trump — but with some mixed feelings.

"Neither one is a great choice," said Bridges, who said she usually votes Republican. "In the end, I went for the party's platform."

She did feel positive about one thing, though.

"It was crazy and I'm glad it's going to be over," she said.

Jordan Kellom, 19, of Lilburn, cast her first vote ever at the church. She didn't want to say who she voted for, but her assessment of the election as a whole was similar to Bridges'.

"It was very silly," she said.

Maria Bess, also of Lilburn, said she had a very personal reason on her list for why she voted for Clinton.

She has a son with a physical disability, and says she was upset when she saw footage of Trump appearing to mock a physically disabled reporter.

"When I saw that, I was discouraged," she said. "That's not OK."

County spokesman Joe Sorenson said Tuesday afternoon that polling was running smoothly for the most part, with no wait at some precincts and longer waits at others.

A superior court judge did extend voting — by 12 minutes — at one polling place.

The vote was extended at Sweetwater Middle School in Lawrenceville because it was late opening.

In local elections, a special-purpose local option sales tax was on pace to being approved.

The "yes" vote was leading over "no," 184,169 to 109,822.

Officials say the tax would raise as much as $950 million for transportation, public safety, parks and recreation, senior services and other projects.

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