Georgia Election Day: March 12 presidential preference primary underway

The Georgia Presidential Preference Primary takes places Tuesday, March 12.

Voting in the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary has been going for a few weeks with early voting kicking off on Feb. 19. President Joe Biden is expected to lead the ballot in the Democratic primary, while former President Donald Trump is expected to lead the field in the Republican primary. Trump's closest challenger, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the presidential race on March 6.

As Georgians hit the polls on Tuesday, the USA TODAY Network will be providing updates below.

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This story will be updated regularly throughout Election Day, March 12. Check for the latest.

Augusta polls report low turnout | 1:15 p.m.

Augusta polling locations Tuesday morning said turnout was lower than expected.

Christopher Yount, who was working at the Julian Smith Casino, said they saw about 45 voters, as of 11 a.m.

"It's been slow, trickling in," Yount said. "There could be a little rush at lunchtime. Typically, at this location, we get a good morning rush, a good lunch rush and a good afternoon rush and the morning rush was very thin."

Susan Wyatt, who was working at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Broad Street, said they had only seen five voters, as of 11 a.m.

"It's not been too bad, a little bit slow," Wyatt said. "Hopefully we will pick up around around lunch and then when everybody gets off work."

— Alexandra Koch, The Augusta Chronicle

Short wait times, minor voting issues reported | 11:10 a.m.

Wait times at polls across Georgia are approximately zero minutes, according to Gabe Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. As of 10:20 a.m., about 1% of the state’s voter population had cast their ballots on election day, which can likely be attributed to a rise in early and absentee voting, as well as low enthusiasm about the presidential primary.

“Since there's nobody competing specifically other than former President Trump and President Biden right now in either one of the parties, we're not seeing a gigantic turnout,” Sterling said at a 10:30 a.m. press conference. “But people still can make their voices heard.”

Gwinnett County, Charlton County, Screven County, Columbia County and Cobb County all reported minor issues at polling places, including paper jams, technical problems with voting machines and delayed opening times.

Interestingly, Sterling said voter turnout is steadily increasing throughout the day, a stark contrast with usual voting patterns.

“Normally, you see a real big spike at seven, at the seven o'clock hour it goes down and kind of evens out,” Sterling said. “[Today] it’s trending higher in the 10 o’clock hour, which is not a normal distribution.”

Savannah polls show light turnout | 10:10 a.m.

One Savannah polling location at Fellowship of Love Community Church had a slow morning Tuesday. As of 9:30 a.m., 13 voters had been through the polls. Savannah Morning News reporters saw one voter within an hour between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Poll manager Debra Moore said one voter was in line when the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. this morning.

James Matthews was one of the voters at Fellowship of Love's polling place. Matthews said his voting experience was quick and easy. It was the first primary he voted in.

"I think it was important to show this year, period," Matthews said.

—Evan Lasseter, Savannah Morning News

It was also a slow morning at First Presbyterian Church on Washington Ave, which is one of the city's polling locations with the most registered voters. The location had about 16 voters at 8:30 a.m., just over an hour after the polls opened.

—Richard Burkhart, Savannah Morning News

Election Day in Georgia is underway | 8 a.m. 

President Joe Biden is currently the frontrunner in the Democratic race with 1,872 delegates nationwide. He will need a total of 1,968 delegates to win the nomination.

Former President Donald Trump is leading his party’s race with 1,078 delegates. He will need to reach 1,215 delegates to secure the Republican nomination.

Polls open across Georgia at 7 a.m.

The March 12 Election Day officially begins at 7 a.m. Tuesday, when polls open across the state. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To find your polling place, visit the Georgia Secretary of State's "My Voter Page" where you also check registration.

If you are voting in person you must bring a valid photo ID, which can include a passport, driver's license or a special free voter ID card issued at any county Board of Registrar's Office.

What is the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary?

The Georgia PPP is where voters from a particular party choose which candidate they want to represent their party. Voters do not choose the nominee directly, but they help allocate delegates who will choose a nominee.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Election Day in Georgia: March 12 primary live updates