GORDON COUNTY, GA — June 17, 2025
Despite fully staffed precincts and a smooth election process across all 12 polling locations, Gordon County saw a shockingly low voter turnout in Tuesday’s closed primary election — just over 1% of registered voters cast a ballot.
Out of 40,531 registered voters, only 413 participated, according to official election results released after all precincts reported. This includes 312 voters on Election Day, 97 who voted early, and just 4 absentee ballots.
The turnout rate broke down as follows:
Election Day Voting: 0.77%
Advance Voting: 0.24%
Absentee by Mail: 0.01%
Overall Turnout: 1.02%
Contested Public Service Commission Races
In the Republican primary for Public Service Commission District 2, incumbent Tim Echols secured 216 votes, defeating challenger Lee Muns, who received 64.
For PSC District 3, Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson easily won with 255 votes.
On the Democratic side:
Alicia M. Johnson ran unopposed in PSC District 2 and received 114 votes.
Keisha Sean Waites led the PSC District 3 race with 55 votes, followed by Peter Hubbard with 31 and Robert Jones with 27.
Each race reflected similarly low participation, with vote totals in the double digits in most cases — numbers that stand in stark contrast to the county’s eligible voter base.
Implications and Concerns
The alarmingly low turnout raises questions about civic engagement and voter awareness in the area. While closed primaries typically see lower participation than general elections, a 1% turnout is highly unusual even for off-year primary races.
Local officials and civic organizations may now face pressure to examine the causes of voter apathy, whether due to lack of competitive races, insufficient outreach, or broader disinterest in down-ballot contests like the Public Service Commission.
With general elections ahead in November, leaders will be watching closely to see if these numbers rebound — or signal a longer-term trend of disengagement.
