Several counties are reporting dismal voter turnout for this month's primaries but the statewide numbers are not yet available.

Election officials were expecting it to be low but hoped that about one-third would go to the polls.

It was not even close.

Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Secretary of State Karen Handel, said the office would have final voter turnout numbers in about two weeks. "We're generating those reports," he said Wednesday.

In the meantime, Carrothers suggested the number of votes cast in the U.S. Senate primaries would provide an indication of turnout. Some people do not vote for every office on their ballots, so the total turnout statewide could be higher.

Carrothers said 886,000 out of more than 4.74 million active voters in Georgia — 18.6 percent — voted in the Democratic or Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

At the same time, individual counties are reporting overall turnout from as low as 11 percent to just over 20 percent.

County election officials expect even fewer voters will cast ballots in primary runoffs on Aug. 5. Advance voting starts on Monday.

"It cost the county just over $1 million to have this election," Lynn Ledford, director of Gwinnett County's election office, said of the July 15 primary.

The cost of the runoff could be just as high because the county needs a minimum number of people to work at polling sites, she said. Each polling place must have at a manager, two assistant managers, an "express" clerk, someone to check voters' identification, another to direct voters to the booths and someone to take the cards used to access the ballot in the voting machines. Also, people must be hired to set up and take down voting equipment at the polling places and to store the machines at warehouses.

"I wonder if they [voters] realize ... it costs them $50 or $25 even if they don't go and vote," Ledford said.

Ledford said voter primary turnout in Gwinnett was 15.8 percent.

Fulton's turnout was 11.87 percent, according to Mark Henderson, voter education and outreach coordinator.

Henderson said Fulton County budgeted $1.2 million for the primary. The runoff will probably cost another $1 million, he said.

In neighboring DeKalb County, turnout was higher - 22.9 percent. DeKalb had a contested race for Chief Executive Officer, and current CEO, Vernon Jones, was on the Democratic ballot for U.S. Senate.

"It's hit or miss on turnout," said DeKalb County chief election official Linda Latimore. Just 84,815 out of 368,805 active voters in DeKalb cast ballots in the primary, she said.

"I guess I just expect more people to turn out," Latimore said. "We do so much to be prepared. It is surprising. And kind of sad."