A total of 166,495 absentee ballot applications have been mailed out to Henry County registered voters and more than 30,000 have been sent back in to the elections office, according to a report by elections director Ameika Pitts at the May 19 meeting of the Board of Commissioners.

In addition, Pitts’ office has already received more than 10,000 absentee ballot for the current primary election, with 52 percent of those being Democrat ballots and 48 percent Republican. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Red Oak Church voting location in Stockbridge has been moved to the Red Oak Elementary gymnasium next door to the church.

Pitts said social distancing guidelines are being observed at all polling locations, and several commissioners said they were pleased by what they saw on recent visits to the polls.