Atlanta Election: Minute by Minute

By Staff

For the AJC

Below is a running, minute-by-minute update following Election Day in Atlanta. Readers can send news and tips to breakingnews@ajc.com.

11:59: With 100 percent of precincts reporting in Fulton County. Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed appear headed to a mayoral runoff, along with Amir Farokhi and Aaron Watson for Atlanta City Council Post 2 At Large. Ceasar Mitchell is really close to the 50 percent mark in the Atlanta City Council President race against Clair Muller. Here's a history of runoffs in Atlanta mayoral races. Keep an eye on Political Insider for more.

11:56: Here are photos of Kasim Reed at the Hyatt Regency.

11:47: Here are fresh photos of Ceasar Mitchell and Clair Muller, candidates for Atlanta City Council president. With two precincts to go in Fulton, Mitchell is in the 49 percent range. Read more.

11:32: Kasim Reed to supporters: "My parents gave me a book when I was little. It was called ‘The Little Engine That Could.'"

11:26: Mary Norwood tells AJC she anticipates a runoff and will "absolutely" extend an olive branch to Lisa Borders' supporters. Read more.

11:20: Lisa Borders says dropping out was a "mathematical" decision. “God doesn’t give you what you want,” she said. “He gives you what you need.” Read more.

11:07: Lisa Borders on WSB, just after conceding the mayoral race: "The citizens have spoken and we have to honor their decision." Read more.

11:04: Kasim Reed on WSB, arriving at the Hyatt: "I have learned that long campaigns are good."

10:57: Campaign staffer tells the AJC that Lisa Borders  is about to concede the mayoral race. Read more.

10:55: Kasim Reed hasn't yet made an appearance at his party at the Hyatt Regency.

10:46: Political Insider and the AP offer news on other races around Georgia.

10:40: Former state lawmaker Ron Dodson, a Democrat from Clayton County, will return to the Capitol to represent House District 75. Results.

10:34: With nearly half the precincts reporting, Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed lead, while Lisa Borders is "slipping away" at third. Read more.

10:31: New York Times projects Michael Bloomberg will win third term as New York City mayor.

10:20: Basketball legend Dave Bing re-elected Detroit mayor. More from the Detroit Free Press.

10:11: With 64 of 161 precincts reporting, Ceasar Mitchell and Clair Muller appear headed for a runoff for Atlanta City Council president, Michael Julian Bond has a big lead for Post 1 At-Large, Aaron Watson has a narrow lead for Post 2 and H. Lamar Willis is ahead for Post 3. Results from Fulton County.

9:58: New photos of Lisa Borders greeting donors at the W Hotel Downtown. Crowd expects to see her, in her red suit, in a few minutes. More details.

9:53: With eight of 12 precincts reporting, former East Point city council member Earnestine D. Pittman had just over 40 percent of the vote, leading incumbent Mayor Joe Macon, who had about 31 percent. Read more.

9:44: Political Insider reports that Norwood is "flirting" with the 50 percent mark needed to avoid a runoff, but none of the results so far come from Southwest Atlanta, Reed's stronghold.

9:36: Looks like a Dec. 1 mayoral runoff in Roswell between three-term incumbent Jere Wood and former council member David Tolleson. With 24 of 27 precincts reporting Tuesday night, Wood held a slight numerical lead over Tolleson. Neither candidate was close to having 50 percent of the vote. Results.

9:32: Eva Galambos, the 81-year-old mayor of Sandy Springs, wins again with 84 percent, 35 of 36 precincts reporting. "“I am very happy," she said. "I do feel it's sort of an endorsement of what we've done so far and we will continue on this path." Read more.

9:31: Fresh numbers for Atlanta mayoral race -- With 19 of 161 precincts reporting, Norwood is at 3,034, Reed is at 1,777, Borders is at 785 and Spikes is at 117.

9:17: A statement from Fulton County Government explains why four precincts in Fulton County used paper ballots for one race from 7-8 p.m.: "The State Election Board instructed Fulton County’s Department of Registration and Elections to use provisional ballots for Atlanta voters who cast their ballots in the State Senate District 35 election between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The decision was made to use the provisional ballots because polls in other counties that are also in State Senate District 35 closed at 7p.m, while Atlanta kept their polls open until 8 p.m. Utilizing the provisional ballots for the State Senate race will insure that all votes are counted. Only four precincts were impacted. Voters were able to use the electronic voting machines to cast their ballots in other races."

9:14: Spotted on the Political Insider blog: Maine gay marriage ban trailing in early results.

9:10: Snellville voters elected businessman Tom Witts, accountant Barbara Bender and electronics engineer Mike Sabbagh to the city council. Incumbent Robert Jenkins was ousted from Post 3 by Witts in the most lopsided of the three races. Bender defeated attorney Niria Baggett by just six votes to retain her Post 4 seat. Baggett told Bender she planned to challenge the results. See the results.

9:04: Lisa Borders has arrived at her party at the W Hotel Downtown.

8:59: Atlanta mayor race results begin --  with only 3 precincts reporting in Fulton County, Kasim Reed has a 50 percent lead. Read more.

8:48: With nearly half the precincts reporting, there's a close race for Roswell mayor. In Sandy Springs, early results show Eva Galambos in the lead for mayor.

8:39: With about 12 percent of the precincts reporting, Donzella James is leading the nine-way race for state Senate District 35, Kasim Reed's old seat. Read more.

8:30: Steve “Thunder” Tumlin apparently rolled to victory Tuesday in the Marietta mayoral race.With more than half the precincts reporting, Tumlin held a huge lead over Bill Bolton III and Chris Neil. Tumlin, a former member of the state House and the Marietta School Board, would take the job Bill Dunaway held for two terms before deciding to step down. Keep an eye on the results.

8:29: A report from AJCer Ernie Suggs at the W Hotel Downtown: At 8:12 p.m., minutes after the polls in Atlanta have officially closed, Borders party is still a long way from starting. Most of the activity is being done by the media.

8:27: Fulton County results are starting to trickle in. Here they are. Nothing yet for Atlanta.

8:21: Fresh photos from parties for Lisa Borders at the W Hotel and Kasim Reed at the Hyatt Regency.

8:20: Raymond Stevens Tumlin Jr. leading for Marietta mayor with 71 percent reporting. Early results for East Point mayor show a close race. Here are top metro Atlanta race results.

8:15: Early results suggest Marietta voters backed spending on parks. Fayette County voters rejected a one-cent sales tax for road and bridge improvements and debt on the county's justice center and jail. Here's the story, "Voters consider parks, taxes, roads."

8:07: Few Atlanta City Council seats are are guaranteed to bring new faces to City Hall, and even some of those are unlikely to be resolved tonight. Read more about why the City Council seated next year probably won't look that much different.

8:04: AP reports Republican Bob McDonnell elected governor of Virginia. Read more.

8:02: Cobb County election results are starting to come in.

8:01: Mary Norwood has arrived at The Varsity.

8:00: Atlanta polls are closed. People in line already are allowed to vote. You can keep an eye on results from major Atlanta races at AJC.com throughout the night.

7:46: AJC Reporter Aaron Gould Sheinin will take over for Jim Galloway at the Political Insider blog for the rest of the night. Check there for news and analysis about races around the city, state and country. Galloway will be back in the morning -- he's busy with other election duties.

7:36: Matt Carrothers, spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State, now says only Fulton County residents voting for the District 35 state Senate seat are using paper ballots. Those ballots will be hand-counted. All other voters, for all other races, are using machines.

7:27: Just posted new photos of Mary Norwood campaigning on Election Day.

7:14: Warning to city of Atlanta voters in Senate District 35 -- if you're voting from 7 to 8 p.m., you're using a paper ballot, which will be hand-counted, state election officials say. City of Atlanta voters in DeKalb County will still use machines. (This information was corrected at 7:36 p.m.)

7:07: Reporters are heading out to mayoral candidate parties. Ernie Suggs will be at the W Hotel Downtown with Lisa Borders, Eric Stirgus will be at The Varsity with Mary Norwood and Steve Visser will be at the Hyatt Regency with Kasim Reed.

7:02: The final drive to vote is underway. Read more.

7:00: Polls outside of Atlanta are closed. People in line are able to vote. Atlanta polls close in one hour.

6:46: When results start to come in, you can track them at the AJC 2009 Election Results page. It sorts races into categories: Atlanta, major metro area races, state Senate, state House and counties.

6:42: Polls outside Atlanta will close at 7 p.m., but people in line at closing time are able to vote. Atlanta polls close at 8 p.m.

6:11: Some voters registered in southwest Fulton County weren't able to cast ballots on Tuesday because of an address glitch. “Right now, we’re just trying to figure this out,” election official Mark Henderson said. Read more.

6:01: Polls close in two hours in Atlanta and in one hour in the metro area.

5:11: Atlanta polls seem quiet, but on the national scene, here's an AP story, "Election 2009: Test of Obama clout in NJ, Virginia." It considers Obama's involvements in races around the country, and how losses could affect his support and agenda.

4:54: We're down to the last few hours to vote. Polls close at 8 p.m. in Atlanta and 7 p.m. throughout the rest of the metro area. Check AJC.com's minute-by-minute feed throughout the night and as returns come in, or on Twitter @ajcpolitics. Tips are welcome at breakingnews@ajc.com, too!

3:55: Whitefoord Elementary School poll manager Sarah Lewis said 318 people have voted at the precinct so far. "It's going fine. It's been smooth," she said.

2:50: Rev. Byron Thomas, of the Central United Baptist Church, said he was shocked that only 26 people have voted at his precinct on Mitchell Street. "It's very low turnout," he said.

2:35: Poll manager Brenda Harris said there is a "steady flow" of voters at the West Hunter Street Baptist Church on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. 138 of 1,142 voters have cast ballots.

2:30: Kasim Reed is addressing supporters at GOTV headquarters.

2:25: About 150 residents have voted at Friendship Towers on Northside Drive. Poll manager Albert R. Singleton said voters are "gradually coming in."

2:20: Waymon Ware, poll manager at Peachtree Christian Church, said more than 500 people had voted at that site since polls opened. “I wasn’t anticipating this many people would turn out for the election,” he said. “There’s been a steady flow coming through.”

2:15: Brady Prothro, poll manager at the Lang-Carson Recreation Center precinct in Reynoldstown, said more than 400 people had voted out of the about 3,000 registered voters there. "It hasn't been overcrowded," he said. "It was busy around lunchtime. It'll probably get busy around 4 or 5."

2:05: Voters dodged firefighters at Station 19 on Highland Avenue. “It’s been pretty busy. No lines, just steady,” poll manager Jackie Webb said. About 370 of the 1,400 voters have cast ballots.

1:30: Only 275 of the 1,080 registered voters have cast ballots at the Morningside Baptist Church on Piedmont Road. "It's been slow and steady," poll manger Ron Goss said.

1:10: Turnout was steady at the Ponce de Leon Library, poll manager Melanie Henry said.As of 1 p.m, 357 of the about 1,100 registered voters had cast ballots.

1:05: Mary Norwood just completed an appearance at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church. She spoke to about a dozen people near the voting site, accompanied by her blue-clad supporters. "You have a city that has not been as respectful of the residents" as it should be, she said. On those who say she's a Republican:  "Everybody in the city knows I'm not a Republican." On the issue of race in the campaign: "Dr. King said we should be judged by who we are, not what we look like. I hope the citizens of Atlanta will judge me by who I am, not what I look like." Norwood plans another appearance at the Varsity at 6 p.m.

12:55: As of 12:40 p.m., only 198 of the approximately 2,500 voters registered in the Coan Middle School precinct had cast ballots. “I would have thought during the lunchtime it would be busy, but we have only one voter now,” said Bob O’Neil, assistant manager at the precinct. “It’s been kind of steady, but certainly not busy,” he said.

12:35: About 90 people have voted at the Washington Park Library on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.“It’s been real slow,” said Clemmie Jenkins, a poll worker.

12:30: There were more poll workers than voters at the Crosby Spears highrise on North Avenue for most of Tuesday morning, a poll manager said. The poll workers spent the morning knitting and reading because it was so slow. At 11:30 a.m., the Midtown precinct had a rush – five voters.

12:25: Mary Norwood showed up at Parkside Elementary School with more than a dozen supporters.

She talked with some of the voters and spoke briefly with Stella Berzsenyi and Flora Smith, both 8 years old.

“Do you want to shake hands with somebody who might be your next mayor?” she said and they did. “This is a wonderful day. Atlanta is a wonderful town. I believe a lot of people are coming out to vote and we have a tremendous amount of support.”

If she wins today, Norwood said she would hit the ground running, working on the transition. But she was also prepared for a runoff

12:15 p.m.: At the Manning Oaks Elementary School in Alpharetta, there were six poll workers and 14 voting machines, but no voters at noon. Poll manager Joe Urban said 83 people had voted so far with no glitches. During the presidential election last November, a line of voters stretched around the outside of the building, Urban said.

11:11: At Marietta Sixth Grade Academy at 340 Aviation Road, only one man was voting at 10:30 a.m. as schoolchildren bustled through the hallways en route to class. Larry Doolittle, poll manager, said 34 people had voted since the polls opened.

11:05: Mary Norwood is prepping for two lunchtime appearances: at Parkside Elementary School in southeast Atlanta at noon and St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church at 12:30.

11:01: Mary Norwood has a simple message for voters on her Facebook page: Election Day! Go Vote! Norwood won't be voting today -- she cast her ballot during the early voting period.

10:55: Lisa Borders voted at Kimberly Elementary School. "I'm feeling fantastic about today," she said. "I have prepared my entire life for today."

She was wearing olive green cargo pants, green clogs from Target and a bracelet with green beads made by women in developing countries, she said. She said the choice of color was deliberate.

When a reporter asked her about the role of race in a runoff, she said, "The most important color in this city is green ... we are in an economic crisis today."

10:51: Election Superintendent Jeanne Ferguson said 315 people had voted as of 10:35 at the Sugar Hill Community Center in Gwinnett County. Ferguson said voting has been steady all morning.

10:50: A tweet from Lisa Borders says she just “cast my vote for Atlanta’s future” at Kimberly Elementary School.

10:33: Kasim Reed, voting at the Ralph Bunche Jr. Middle School, told reporters that voter turnout is the key to his chances.

With no line, he was in and out in eight minutes. Before he arrived, poll workers said 140 people had voted at that site.

Reed told reporters  that he was happy to have the endorsements of Mayor Shirley Franklin and former Mayor and UN Ambassador Andrew Young, but “I’m going to need 50,000 more votes.” He said he expects there will be lower turnout -- about 37 percent – than the 2001 election, which had a 41 percent turnout. “If you see 41 percent, there will be a runoff.”

10:04: Kasim Reed, with his mother nearby, voted at Bunche Middle School.

10:01: Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris has given a tweet of support to Kasim Reed: "Atlanta it's time 2 STAND UP & make your vote count! Vote 4 Kasim Reed & give Atlanta the leadership we need 2 rebuild Atlanta!"

9:40: Marian Lynch, the poll officer at Hammond Park Gymnasium in Sandy Springs, where voters were casting ballots for three city council seats and a mayoral seat, said there was no wait at 9:20 a.m. Lynch  said turnout had been "slow but steady" and said voters could be in and out in five minutes. Doug and Claudia Lyle, who stopped in to choose their next city leaders, said the voting was nearly instantaneous. "A good experience all around," Claudia Lyle said.

9:33: The emergency call at Oakland City Park Recreation Center turns out to be a false alarm.

9:13: Atlanta Fire Department is responding to an alarm call at Oakland City Park Recreation Center, a polling site for Precinct 4M. The nature of the alarm is unknown.

9:05: At Suwanee City Hall, poll manager Thomas Coffin says voting is steady, with about 92 people voting by 8:50 a.m. Voting has gone smoothly and the polling site hasn't been empty since it opened, he said.

8:36: It’s “slow voting” at Bible Way Ministries  in Atlanta, said poll worker Winifred Smith. So far, 25 people have come to the Constitution Road location to vote.

8:30: Lines are starting to form at the NFL Youth Education Town Building on Hill Street as voter turnout starts to increase.

8:23: Catherine Goolsby, poll manager at Precinct 11E in southwest Atlanta, said a "fair amount" of voters passed through the Ben Hill Recreation Center during the first hour of voting. Goolsby said there were no voters waiting when the polls opened at 7, but by 8 a.m., 105 ballots had been cast.

8:21: At Morningside Elementary School, poll manager Archie Moon reported moderate turnout with “no, no, no” lines at the voting booths.

8 a.m.: At the Villages at Carver Family YMCA on Pryor Road south of downtown, poll worker Sandra Sherrer said about 50 ballots had been cast in the first hour of voting. "Everything's running smoothly," she said.

7:51: A report from Snellville City Hall: By 7:30 a.m. about 40 people had voted. Poll manager Nelson Williams said he expected it to pick up as the day went on

7:47: Kasim Reed has retweeted an endorsement from iamdiddy (as in Sean “Diddy” Combs). Diddy originally issued his endorsement last week.

7:40: A check of Twitter finds this from Lisa Borders: “This is it, Atlanta. My team will be updating throughout the day while I visit Atlanta voters throughout the city."

7:34: Kasim Reed, who has been a heavy user of social media throughout the campaign, hit  Twitter and Facebook before the polls opened  asking followers for their support and votes  to “help move Atlanta in a New Direction.”

7:01: Turnout was light at Grady High School in Atlanta, with 10 voters in line. Fourteen booths available.

7 a.m.: Polls are now open across metro Atlanta. In most areas they close at 7 p.m. In the city of Atlanta they're open until 8 p.m.