Augusta, GA

Ga. senators fight voting method that would avoid runoffs

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Ga. senators fight voting method that would avoid runoffs

ATLANTA, Ga. – Ranked-choice voting is barely present in Georgia, but Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and some state senators want to keep it from expanding.

Under the voting method used in some elections in other states, voters rank their choices in order. Lower-finishing candidates are then eliminated and their votes assigned to the surviving candidates until someone reaches a majority.

Supporters say the voting system could allow Georgia to avoid its system of runoff elections, required when a candidate doesn’t win.

They say runoffs usually have lower turnouts than earlier rounds of voting, and that voters dislike them, especially Georgia’s unusual requirement for a runoff when no candidate wins a majority in the general election. Most states declare the highest finisher the winner in a general election, even if they don’t win a runoff.

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But Georgia’s Senate Ethics Committee voted 8-1 Tuesday to ban the practice for all voters except for American citizens who vote absentee from abroad, sending the measure to full Senate for more debate. Since 2021, those citizens have cast a ranked-choice ballot because it’s impractical to send a runoff ballot abroad and get it back within the four-week window for a runoff.

Republican Sen. Randy Robertson of Cataula, the sponsor of Senate Bill 355, said the practice needs to be prohibited because voters will be confused, results will be delayed, and people who only vote for one candidate will often see their vote go uncounted. He held up a ranked choice ballot from another city and likened it to “the lottery card at Circle K where you pick your numbers.”

With the backing of the lieutenant governor, the measure is likely to pass the Senate floor, but its prospects are more uncertain in the House.

On the opposite side of the issue is Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s elections chief. About a month ago, he called for lawmakers to get rid of general election runoffs, saying it’s time to “eliminate this outdated distraction.”

Robertson’s efforts were supported by testimony from multiple conservative groups nationwide. Their testimony focused in part on congressional elections in Alaska and Maine where Republicans had led the first round of voting but Democrats won after second-choice votes were redistributed.

“How could you rightfully have a congressional election where someone of that persuasion won or advanced when you had a state that went so far in the other direction in the presidential election?” Jordan Kittleson of the America First Policy Institute asked of the Alaska election. He called ranked-choice voting “a confusing, chaotic system whereby the person with the most votes doesn’t always win.”

But former state Rep. Scot Turner, a libertarian-leaning Republican, said voters aren’t confused by ranked-choice voting and argued Georgia’s current runoff system is costly, with fewer voters returning to cast additional ballots.

“At a minimum, we don’t know who our winner is for a month, and we have to pay for it, $75 million, and we have a half-million people silenced by that process,” Turner said.

He also questioned, if the method was so terrible, why it’s acceptable for soldiers overseas to use it.

“If ranked choice voting is so bad, why are you subjecting our men and women in uniform to something that is confusing and would disenfranchise them?” Turner asked.

Republican Wes Cantrell, another former state House member, called the opposition “spin and misinformation.”

He said that if Georgia voters had a second choice in 2020 that Donald Trump would have won Georgia’s presidential vote, and Republican David Perdue might have retained his U.S. Senate seat. He instead lost a runoff to Democrat Jon Ossoff.

“RCV is not a partisan issue,” Cantrell said. “It doesn’t benefit Democrats or Republicans. It represents taxpayers and voters.”

He said that voters hate runoffs. “The process is flawed and it’s because we wear our voters out,” Cantrell said.

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Augusta, GA

Customers shop Black Friday deals at stores in Augusta

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Customers shop Black Friday deals at stores in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Black Friday is here, and customers are ready to shop some big sales.

We visited several big stores across the Augusta area, where large groups of people were lining up to shop sales.

Santa even made an appearance at Cabela’s in Augusta.

Santa with News 12’s Cameron Jacobs and Israel Butler(WRDW)

How to stay safe while shopping

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says it’s going to have deputies all over the county and around businesses.

But they are urging you to make sure you, your car and your items are all secure and away from potential dangers.

“Make sure if you’re going in, you’re buying packages, you’ve got bags. I would think about trying to get these packages and these items home as soon as possible. I wouldn’t leave them in the trunk of my vehicle. I definitely wouldn’t leave them in plain view inside my vehicle,” said Col. Bo Johnson with the sheriff’s office.

Johnson says for those who wear purses or other bags, make sure they’re in front of you at all times, not just on your shoulder.

Also remember to be aware of your surroundings when walking to and from a store and when on the roads.

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Augusta, GA

Volunteers ensure no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving at Augusta Salvation Army

Published

22 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Volunteers ensure no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving at Augusta Salvation Army

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Salvation Army of Augusta held its annual free Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, with volunteers taking time away from their families to serve those in need.

The organization estimated serving nearly 200 plates during the event, which brought together volunteers and community members in the Salvation Army dining hall.

Volunteers give back to community

Samuel Quiroz, a chef who volunteered for the event, said the opportunity to give back was a blessing.

“I’m a chef and a chef always has somewhere to go on Thanksgiving, so I called around and the Salvation Army always needs some help, so I gave my time,” Quiroz said.

Randall Mathis, a military veteran who volunteered, said the experience was an extension of his service.

“I was in the military and I’ve always volunteered, so it was just an extension of my military service,” Mathis said. “It’s the best feeling in the world for giving back and meeting people of their needs.”

Personal connection drives service

Bobby Johnson, the Salvation Army’s lead cook, said his own experience receiving help motivated him to serve others.

“At one point, I have been out there in that line, like 30 something years ago, getting that meal too. When I saw the opportunity, I wanted to take it and you know, give back,” Johnson said.

Johnson credited the volunteers for making the dinner possible.

“They are the one that actually makes this what it is because they come in and they willing to give their time and their service for nothing,” Johnson said.

Community spirit on display

Quiroz said the event embodied the spirit of Thanksgiving through community service.

“Thanksgiving is about having a sense of community coming together and appreciating what we do have and what I had and what these people had today was some time to make sure people had some food on their bellies, which is a luxury I feel like a lot of people take advantage of these days,” Quiroz said.

Mathis expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, saying “Thank God for an opportunity to serve.”

The Salvation Army continues to seek volunteers and donations as the holiday season approaches to ensure community needs are met.

To donate or find ways to volunteer, visit their website.

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Augusta, GA

Salvation Army to serve Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds in Augusta

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Salvation Army to serve Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Salvation Army of Augusta is preparing to serve its annual free Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, with leaders expecting more people than ever to attend.

The Salvation Army Center of Hope serves meals 365 days a year, but Thursday’s Thanksgiving dinner holds special significance for the organization and the community it serves.

“If you are struggling, if you are hungry, there is a meal and a welcoming family here for you on Thanksgiving Day,” said Derek Dugan, Director of Development for the Salvation Army of Augusta.

Shelters at capacity

Dugan said the organization’s facilities are at full capacity heading into the holiday.

“Tonight this shelter will be full, the women’s shelter will be full, the family shelter will be full. And tomorrow, all of them will be joining us for a Thanksgiving meal,” he said.

Volunteers prepare feast

While the Center of Hope dining area sits quietly with tables set and chairs arranged, preparation is underway in the kitchen at the Kroc Center, where turkeys and pies are going into ovens.

Volunteer Angela Mixon is making sweet potato pies using her grandmother’s recipe, mixing ingredients by hand.

“I don’t measure anything. If it tastes right, it’s good; if it doesn’t, I add what it tastes like it needs,” Mixon said.

The Salvation Army holds personal meaning for Mixon, who stayed at the shelter when she was 25 with her oldest daughter.

“So the Salvation Army really helped me,” she said.

Now she’s baking for the 150 people expected to attend Thursday’s meal.

Finding family

For many who will attend, the dinner provides more than just food.

“Thanksgiving is a special time for us to reconnect with our families and friends. And for the people that we serve, many of them don’t have those families or friends because of their situation in life,” Dugan said.

The free Thanksgiving meal will be served at the Salvation Army Center of Hope on Greene Street at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Everyone in the community is encouraged to attend.

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