The election, by the numbers ...

By Jeffry Scott and Steve Visser

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Without counting the money spent by hundreds of candidates running for offices across the state this year -- ranging from county surveyor to U.S. Senate -- the numbers still add up, in some cases, in odd ways.

In some election categories, the number of candidates who are running without opposition in today's primaries is more notable than those competing for their party’s nomination.

There are, for instance, 56 state Senate districts in play this election, but only 19 of those seats are contested in the primaries, where Republicans are running against Republicans and Democrats against Democrats to win the nomination and appear on the ballot in November.

A few more numbers that will come into play today:

Total number of registered voters in Georgia: 5,736,319

Total number of voting precincts: 2,898

Total number of candidates on today’s ballot running in contested primaries

Governor: 14

U.S. Senate: 2

Lieutenant governor: 2

Secretary of state: 7

Attorney general: 5

State school superintendent: 5

Insurance commissioner: 9

Agriculture commissioner: 2

Labor commissioner: 4

Public Service Commission (District 2): 4

Number of other races involving contested primaries today

U.S. Congress: 8

State Senate: 19

State House: 52

District attorney: 3

Of course, a major factor in today's primaries is who will show up to vote. Some voters have already cast their ballots.

Early voting (as of Friday night)

Georgia: 185,065

The top five counties were:

Cobb: 11,479

Fulton: 9,632

Gwinnett: 8,741

DeKalb: 8,454

Chatham: 4,949

Georgia turnout in previous general primaries

2008: 1,011,199 (22 percent)

2006: 912,358 (21 percent)

2004: 1,386,129 (35 percent)

2002: 1,102,611 (30 percent)

Sources: Georgia secretary of state's office; League of Women Voters of Georgia; staff research