Early voting broke a record in Georgia in advance of the state's Tuesday presidential primaries, so it might not come as a surprise that polls - for the most part - have not been crowded in north Georgia. Still, voters have made a steady path to their polling places and most are happy to share how they voted.
Hall County Elections Director Charlotte Sosebee reported 7,378 voters had cast ballots at the county's 31 precincts as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. By 3 p.m., that number had grown to 17,781. She said lines had moved smoothly and there had been no issues at polling precincts. However, Sosebee said their was some confusion among voters about voting at the county elections office.
"They recall voting here in the past election (early) so they show up here to vote. We are directing them to their polling location after we verify their election status on the voter registration system," Sosebee said in an email.
Sosebee also said phones at the office have been ringing constantly, since voters are calling before heading to their precincts.
Donald Trump is considered the front runner among GOP candidates in Georgia, but there were several voters in Suwanee Tuesday morning who had cast ballots for his opponents.
"All this rhetoric about 'I'm going to build walls,' that's not feasible," said Garland Hitchcock, who said he voted for Ted Cruz. "I want somebody who's going to help us, not hurt us."
Hitchcock's wife Susan cast her ballot for Marco Rubio. Both said they would refuse to vote for Trump if he's the Republican nominee.
Linnea Miller, a city council member for the city of Suwanee, went to the polls with her daughter this morning. Both women are Rubio supporters.
"I think that Marco Rubio has the best chance to win in November. I think that he has a positive vision for the future and that he can put together a great team," said Miller.
In Gainesville, William McCormick said he voted for Trump and was proud to do so.
"I know for a fact he'll have no special interests hanging over him," McCormick said. "The media out there - they're trying to dictate who I vote for."
While north Georgia tends to be a more conservative region politically, there are Democratic voters at the polls today, as well.
April Saffore of Suwanee voted for Hillary Clinton, the candidate considered the favorite among Georgia Democrats.
"As an African-American woman, I just want to see what the candidates'...ideas are around resolving issues that are specific to the African-American community."
A total of 76 GOP delegates are up for grabs, while 102 Democratic delegates are on the table in the Tuesday primaries.
Polls close at 7 p.m. in Georgia.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/3/374024/north-georgia-voters-turn-out-at-the-polls-for-sec-primary