Secretary of State Karen Handel Certifies General Primary Results

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today certified the elections results for the July 15 General Primary Election, except for two races with pending candidacy challenges. The certified results of state and federal races can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections

The first uncertified race is the Democratic Primary for Public Service Commission, District 4. Secretary Handel’s final decision to disqualify candidate Jim Powell was appealed to the Fulton County Superior Court.

The second uncertified race is the Democratic Primary for state Senate District 56. A challenge to the qualifications of candidate Akhtar Sadiq has been remanded to the OSAH administrative law judge for consideration of additional information contained in a motion for a hearing of additional evidence filed by the Attorney General’s office.

A run-off will be held on August 5, 2008 between the two candidates that received the most votes in races where no candidate received a majority of votes cast. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Advance voting week will be held Monday, July 28 through Friday, August 1, 2008. To find advance voting locations in your county, please contact your county registrar’s office. Contact information can be found on the 2008 Elections Center website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/ElectionCenter08.htm

Voters can request an absentee ballot from their county registrar’s office through the close of business on Friday, August 1, 2008. All absentee ballots must be received by the county registrar by close of business on Election Day, August 5, 2008. Photo identification is not required when voting by mail.

Voters will be required to show photo identification when voting in person. For more information on the requirements for photo ID, please call 1-877-725-9797 or visit www.GaPhotoID.com.

A Special Primary Election will also be held on August 5 for state Senate District 13. The Special Primary will be held in Ben Hill, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner and Worth counties, and a portion of Wilcox County. Because the Special Primary is in lieu of the General Republican Primary for state Senate District 13, voters will only be able to participate in the Special Primary if they choose a Republican or nonpartisan ballot in the July 15, 2008 General Primary or if they did not vote in the Primary at all.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.