Election Day in Gwinnett County got off to a sluggish start Tuesday. There isn’t a countywide election, but several cities held their own municipal elections.
Poll workers in Lawrenceville said five people were in line at 7 a.m. when polls opened, and voters slowly trickled in after that.
Roughly half the people who walked into Lawrenceville City Hall were city employees ready to begin their workday rather than voters, but Bruce Johnson said he was happy to be among them to cast his vote.
“I’m one of the strange ones that actually enjoys voting on Election Day,” he said. “I just feel it’s an event and I always feel great when I vote.”
Other voters had their eyes set on making larger changes in the country — even if that meant starting by casting votes for community leaders.
“Overall, I do not like the direction the country is heading in, and the way to change things is to start locally,” Bill Grimes said after casting his ballot in Lawrenceville. “Think national, act local.”
Since councilmembers Bob Clark and Keith Roche are not seeking reelection in Lawrenceville, two new faces will be elected to work at City Hall. Both races have three candidates vying to win. City officials said 555 early ballots were cast in addition to roughly 20 absentee ballots before Election Day.
In nearby Dacula, voting started off just as tepid. Election Supervisor Heather Coggins said less than 20 people had voted before 9 a.m., and she had to turn away nearly just as many people because they didn’t actually live in Dacula’s city limits. She said some voters also showed up expecting to vote in next year’s governor and senate elections and left disappointed that they’ll have to wait a year to vote for Brian Kemp and Herschel Walker.
Instead, Dacula residents get to choose whether Wade Anthony, a political newcomer, unseats current mayor Trey King — the only incumbent Gwinnett mayor with a challenger this year. Even though there was practically no wait, multiple voters said they would have stood in line if necessary to make their voice heard.
“I would have waited here an hour. I don’t mind at all,” said Fred Banks, who has lived in Dacula for more than 28 years, said. “I want to come on Election Day and do it right.”
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