Gwinnett County with precinct divisions shown.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JUNE 16, 2020 | Elections returns in Gwinnett County are still not final after voting a week ago. Officials tell GwinnettForum that they hope to finish the counting of multiple absentee votes by possibly this week and certify the election.
As a result of the slow counting, several key races are still up in air, since final results are not in. The 7th District Congressional race for Democrats, and the races for seats on the county commission and legislature are still in question.
Latest estimates are that about 180,000 people voted in Gwinnett. That includes about 75,000 who voted in person on election day; 85,330 absentees who voted by mail; and 19,952 people who voted in person in advance.
Officials have been whittling a record number of absentee ballots since the polls closed. Because of the many candidates in the Gwinnett races, the local absentee ballot had to be printed on two sheets, which makes counting more difficult and takes longer. Right now, ballots have for several days been counted for up to 16 hours a day without let-up. Even when the absentees are finished, there will still be provisional ballots to contend with. At present, officials can give no solid guess to the end of the counting.
If you go to the Gwinnett Elections site here, you can see new totals each day, as more ballots are counted.
However, you may get the wrong impression that all the votes are counted, since the site says that 156 of 156 precincts are reported. But that does not include Absentee Ballots. In reality, it would be best for the county to consider Absentee Ballots as its own precinct (Phantom No. 157), so that it would not appear that all ballots would be counted.
The Gwinnett Elections site has done a good job on devising this online report. However, it would be great to list how many ballots remain uncounted, as of what date and time, to give a clear picture of the election.
From the last version of the count, posted Monday morning, here are key races still pending:
Congress, 7th District: At this count, it appears that Carolyn Bourdeaux could win the Democratic nomination without a runoff, now with 50.87 percent of the vote, or 33,882 votes. In second place is Brenda Lopez Romero at 13 percent, or 8,656 votes.
Democratic Commission Chairman: Nicole Love Hendrickson is close to winning this nomination, having 49.17 percent of the vote, or 46,732 votes. Three persons are close with 13 percent each: Lee Thompson, 13.89 percent or 13,202 votes; Curt Thompson, 13.79 percent with 13,108 votes; and Desmond Nembhard, 13.47 percent of 12,804 votes. That’s a mighty close contest to get in the runoff, if Ms. Hendrickson does not top 50 percent!
GOP County Commission, Post 3: Ben Archer has 46.74 percent, or 7,563 votes, with Matt DeReimer second with 29.02 percent, or 4,696 votes.
Democratic County Commission Post 5: Derrick Wilson is out in front with 33.98 percent, or 10,808 votes, while two guys vie for the run-off spot: Jasper Watkins, 20.28 percent, or 6,452 votes; while John Moye has 19.79 percent of 6,294 votes.
Democratic School Board, Post 1: Another close race. Karen Watkins presently leads with 50.54 percent, or 12,275 votes, while Segun Adeyina has 49.46 percent or 12,014 votes.
A State Senate District 9 Democratic race could have a runoff. Nikki Merritt has 47.15 percent of the vote, or 11,165 votes; Gab Okoye runs second with 27.68 percent, or 6,553 votes.
In the Democratic District 41 race, Kim Jackson has 46.65 percent of 1,905 votes, while Mohammed Jahangir Hossain is second with 20.69 percent or 845 votes.
No other legislative races are in doubt.
So Gwinnett awaits the final returns a little while more! Don’t you know the candidates must be on pins and needles? Thank them, next time you see them, for offering for office.
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