Republicans Dominate Early Vote; Suit Seeks To Force DA Election

Oconee County had 108 voters turn out on Monday for the first day of early voting for the June 9 election, which includes the delayed Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, state primaries, and nonpartisan judicial races.

Only six voters used the Democratic Ballot on Monday, with the remaining 102 using the Republican Ballot.

None of the 108 votes asked only for the Nonpartisan Ballot, which also is included in the Democratic and Republican ballots automatically.

By the end of the day on Monday, the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration reported receiving 1,062 Democratic Absentee Ballots, 1,679 Republican Absentee Ballots, and 73 Nonpartisan Absentee Ballots.

Also on Monday, Atlanta Attorney Bruce P Brown filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Atlanta on behalf of Deborah Gonzalez and four other citizens to force Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger to hold an election on Nov. 3 for District Attorney for Oconee and Clarke counties.

Gonzalez, an Athens attorney and former state House Representative for District 117, which includes part of Oconee County, had declared her intention to run as a Democrat for District Attorney.

Andrea Wellnitz, one of the founders of Oconee Progressives, is one of the four additional plaintiffs. The other three are from Athens-Clarke County.

In news that has impact on redistricting and thus politics in the region, Oconee County had more than a 10 percent higher return rate for the U.S. Census at the beginning of the day on Monday than Clarke County and a higher rate than any of the other seven counties surrounding Oconee and Clarke counties.

For more on early voting, the lawsuit, and Census return rates, please go to Oconee County Observations.