Early voting has closed in the special election to fill Georgia’s 14th Congressional District seat, with just under 12 percent of Polk County’s registered voters casting ballots before Election Day.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, 3,213 of Polk County’s 27,018 registered active voters had voted as of Friday — the final day for in-person early voting. That total includes 3,122 votes cast at the county’s two early voting locations and 91 returned absentee ballots.
The race features 17 candidates vying to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who vacated the seat. Because it is a special election, all candidates — regardless of party — appear on the same ballot. A candidate must earn more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright. If no one clears that threshold, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff on April 7.
The district covers all of Polk, Chattooga, Catoosa, Dade, Floyd, Murray, Paulding, Walker and Whitfield counties, along with a portion of Cobb County.
The candidates:
Republican: Star Black, Regan Box, Beau Brown, Eric Cunningham, Clay Fuller, Tom Gray, Trey Kelly, Colton Moore, Brian Stover, Meg Strickland, James Tulley and Jenna Turnipseed.
Democrat: Jim Davis, Shawn Harris and Jonathan Hobbs.
Libertarian: Andrew Underwood.
Independent: Rob “Rush” Ruszkowski.
The winner will serve the remainder of Greene’s unexpired term through December 31.
Election Day is Tuesday, March 10. All precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must report to their assigned polling place.