Treutlen County to open only one polling place for July 15 PSC runoff
Only one voting site will be open for the July 15 Public Service Commission runoff in Treutlen County.
SOPERTON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Treutlen County will open only one polling location for the upcoming July 15 primary runoff election, according to an official notice from Elections Supervisor Keri Hedgecock.
The polling place will be located at the Treutlen County Library, 585 Second Street in Soperton.
“Any voter who desires to vote in such run-off primary must vote at said polling place and no other polling places will be open for the run-off primary,” the notice said.
The July 15 ballot includes a runoff in the District 3 race for Georgia’s Public Service Commission. The Commission regulates utilities such as Georgia Power and sets electric and natural gas rates across the state. Voters statewide — including in Treutlen County — cast ballots in all races.
Early voting will be held from July 7 to July 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Treutlen County Annex, 650 Second Street in Soperton.
The winner of the PSC Democratic runoff between Keisha Waites and Peter Hubbard will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson in November.
Georgia’s PSC elections were previously delayed after a federal lawsuit challenged the statewide voting system, which a court found diluted the influence of Black voters. Though the elections moved forward, the lawsuit temporarily halted PSC voting statewide and led to adjusted term lengths for this year’s winners.
In the District 2 Republican primary, incumbent Tim Echols beat challenger Lee Muns of Harlem. Echols, a Hoschton resident, has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. He will face Democrat Alicia Johnson of Savannah in November.
According to Associated Press reporting, debate in the primary centered on bills charged by Georgia Power. Its customers have seen bills rise six times in recent years because of higher natural gas costs, construction projects including two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, and other factors. A typical Georgia Power residential customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes.
