ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Election officials are hopeful for a strong turnout for several runoffs happening Tuesday across Southwest Georgia.
On December 5, Southwest Georgia voters in eight communities will pick mayors and city officials.
Municipal elections, especially runoffs, typically draw fewer voters.
That makes those voters who do come out Tuesday very valuable for candidates.
And, it also means the fewer voters that show up, the higher the cost per vote for taxpayers.
"Hopefully they will turn out, it will be a steady flow. A steady, steady flow," said Dougherty County's Election Supervisor Ginger Nickerson.
Voters in Pearson, Arlington and Bronwood will be choosing their next mayor.
Cordele voters will select a city commissioner at-large and Grady County voters will decide on a District 1 City Commissioner.
There is a run-off for the Valdosta City Council District 4 seat and the Thomasville City Council at-large position.
In Albany, there is a run-off for the Ward 2 race.
To view who is running, and the results from the general election November 7, click here.
Running these elections, whether voters show up or not, has a price.
"It's still costly," said Nickerson. "A small election, one ward, I've looked in the past, it was $8,000."
In Ward 2, for example, if all 6,157 registered voters come to the polls Tuesday, each vote will cost taxpayers about $1.30.
But, if the turnout for this runoff is as low as it was four years ago, when the runoff for the Ward 2 seat saw a 7 percent turnout, a single vote would cost taxpayers about $18.50.
"There is a lot of money spent to facilitate the process. It's a shorter time frame, but the cost is still there," said Nickerson.
Nickerson said elections officials across the region will be prepared for voters.
"Dougherty County and all of the other counties are set up and ready and waiting for all the voters to come out, and we want to make this process as simple as possible," Nickerson explained.
You can help simplify your process at your precinct by bringing identification.
You can find out what types of identification are needed, confirm your poll location and more at Georgia's My Voter page.
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