Votes trickle in for low-turnout Georgia Public Service Commission primaries 

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Early voting is underway for a pair of Public Service Commission seats. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Cobb County voter Barry Paulk stopped by the West Cobb Regional Library Tuesday afternoon to pick up a copy of “Election,” the 1998 novel by Tom Perrotta.

When he walked through the front doors, a poll manager reminded him that there’s a Public Service Commission election going on right now and asked if he wanted to vote. Familiar with the commission’s regulatory duties and a recent court case challenging the method used to elect commissioners, he decided why not?

“I figured, well, I’m pretty happy with how things are now, so might as well vote for the incumbents,” Paulk said.

Paulk is one of a handful of early voters who have already cast their votes in the primary elections underway for a pair of Public Service Commission seats. For the first time since 2020, voters are electing representatives for both District 2 in the eastern part of the state and District 3 in metro Atlanta. All registered voters in Georgia are eligible to vote for each commissioner, no matter where they live.

Incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols is running for reelection in District 2. He is challenged by Lee Muns on the Republican ballot. On the Democratic ballot, Alicia M. Johnson is running in an uncontested race.

In District 3, incumbent Commissioner Fitz Johnson is running for reelection as the only candidate on the Republican ballot. There are currently four Democratic candidates hoping to win the party nomination. Candidates include Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones and Keisha Sean Waites. Daniel Blackman is the fourth candidate who is currently fighting to appeal a residency based disqualification

Early voting is available through June 13. Voter registration, polling places and sample ballots can all be checked online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

Traditionally, the commission has a staggered election schedule and each commissioner serves a six-year term. This year’s election was delayed after a lawsuit challenged the statewide nature of the election, arguing the process diluted the voting strength of Black voters.

Despite the ability to vote across the state, voter turnout remains relatively low. After over a week of open polls, voter turnout sits at 0.4%. According to the Secretary of State’s data hub, this accounts for about 29,000 voters.

Fred Bentley was more of an intentional voter who made time to cast his ballot. Bentley said he was Cobb County’s first in-house attorney to represent the condemning authorities that were influential in shaping Georgia’s eminent domain laws and even helped write Kennesaw’s famous mandatory gun ownership law and he said those experiences have made him a firm believer in the power and privilege of voting.

“I believe that it’s an important part of our democracy and our republic that I come out and vote,” Bentley said.

He showed up to the polls wearing a blue suit and a red tie to proudly cast his vote. Even with the personal satisfaction of voting, Bentley said he walked away from the polls with a sense of sadness.

“Not a lot of people have voted,” Bentley said. “And that’s a disappointment.”

David Chastain, a member of the Cobb County School Board, was headed out of town with his luggage packed when he stopped by the polls to cast his vote Wednesday afternoon. As a close follower of the regulatory panel, Chastain said the commission does a lot of work the average voter may not understand. He is happy with how the current commissioners have operated.

“I do believe that people should participate in the political process,” Chastain said. “I understand the people who say they don’t want to vote, Okay, that’s fine, but the rest of us are going to voice our opinions at the ballot box.”

Voters have been vocal about various issues surrounding this year’s election. Some are singing the praises of incumbents, while others question if the all-GOP panel has done enough to combat rising utility rates and be a check on the state’s largest electric utility, Georgia Power.

Confusion has also lingered for some voters amid Democratic candidate Daniel Blackman’s potential disqualification. Blackman’s name is set to remain on the ballot while a Fulton County judge considers Blackman’s appeal  of a successful challenge to his residency within District 3. A hearing is set for June 10, and the shadow hanging over his candidacy has forced some to rethink their election choices.

Alida and Garland Miller, an older couple who say they always vote in the PSC primaries, came to the polls with concerns this year. Familiar with the recent lawsuit, the couple is unsatisfied with the statewide electoral process.

“I feel like we might have the opportunity for a more responsive representative than we currently have,” Alida Miller said. “I feel like the ones that we have right now don’t really care. If they knew they could be voted out by the people in the area that they represent, they might pay a little bit more attention to the wishes of the actual electorate, and not just to big business and the power companies.”

When asked if they agreed with the lawsuit arguing that the statewide election dilutes the voices of Black voters, they immediately answered “yes” in unison.

Georgians still hoping to participate in early voting have the opportunity to do so through Friday, June 13, and the official election day will follow on June 17. If no one receives at least 50% of the vote this month, a runoff election will be held on July 15. Primary winners will advance to the general election on Nov. 4.

This post was originally authored and published by Amber Roldan from Georgia Recorder via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.