Early voting may have ended Friday, but that doesn’t mean Bryan County voters have missed their opportunity to cast a vote in the 2011 municipal and countywide elections.
Election Day is today and polls will be open at various locations throughout the county from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. for both city and county elections.
And similar to early voting, Elections Superintendent and Probate Judge Sam Davis noted that some voters will have to cast votes for municipal and county elections in two different locations.
“Voters get upset and rightfully so,” Davis siad. “I know it’s aggravating, but one advantage is I don’t think they’ll have long lines to stand in.”
For the county SPLOST election, all residents must go to their regular precinct, he said. For the municipal election, voters must go to City Hall in Pembroke and the John W. Stevens Wetlands Education Center in Richmond Hill.
Based on early voting turnout, Davis said it’s anybody’s guess what Election Day will bring.
Davis said early voting for the special purpose local option sales tax had produced around 490 votes, which is more than he’d expected, and noted SPLOST votes usually only bring about 20 percent of voters out.
Early voting in Richmond Hill brought around 420 voters to the polls, and he said he thinks Election Day may produce a good turnout as well in that city.
Pembroke saw few voters during early voting – around 110. Davis said he believes Election Day will likely be the same.
When heading to the polls, voters in Pembroke will decide who will fill the council member at large seat for the next term that is sought by current District 2 council member Doug Kangeter and former councilman Ernest Hamilton.
Several uncontested names will also be on ballots in Pembroke, including incumbents Johnnie Miller for District 1, Diane Moore for District 3 and Tiffany Walraven for District 4. Voters will also see Mary Warnell’s name for the mayoral seat and Kim McGhee for District 2.
In Richmond Hill, voters will decide between incumbent Jimmy Hires and John Fesperman for Post 3, while incumbent Marilyn Hodges and Jan Bass will be voters’ choices for the Post 4 seat.
SPLOST in Bryan County will also be on a ballot Tuesday, when voters will decide if the tax to help fund capital improvements like road, recreation and some building projects will continue.
Davis said voters who are unsure of their voting precinct can call the Voter Registration Office at 653-3859, or visit http://sos.georgia.gov/MVP/. By entering a name and birth date, voters can find where their polling precincts are.
A complete list of polling precincts can also be found a on page 7 and at www.bryancountyga.org/departments/voting/polling_places.php.

To see samples of Tuesday's ballots, pick up a copy of the Nov. 5 edition of the News.