Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp certified results Wednesday from last week’s primary election, setting the stage for a slew of runoffs on July 22. Kemp’s action essentially makes the tally official, including these five quick facts:
Statewide turnout
A paltry 20 percent (actually, it was 19.56 percent). Last week's turnout nicked the low end of historical primary voting patterns in Georgia that traditionally fall between 20 percent and 25 percent. In the midterm primary four years ago, turnout hit 22 percent.
Voters
There are roughly 5 million active voters in Georgia, but fewer than 1 million people cast ballots last week despite several nationally important races, including a U.S. Senate seat with no incumbent. Atkinson County drew the highest turnout, at 48.2 percent. And the lowest? Chattahoochee County, at 9.63 percent.
Highest vote-getter
It must be the robe: Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham beat even his peers in statewide totals, tallying 722,966 votes.
Lowest vote-getter
Mableton resident C.D. Branson Wright's day job? Logistics. He'll stick to that after totaling 142 votes in a three-person Democratic race for the state Legislature in District 38.
Races
Fewest votes cast for any state legislative seat: 410, in the uncontested Republican primary for House District 83. Freddy W. Holley was the "winner."
Fewest votes cast in a "contested" race for the state Legislature: 1,105, in the Democratic primary for House District 105. Renita Hamilton beat Tim Hur, 671-434.
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