94-year-old Donna Hopper, moved to Gordon County in 1961 and has voted in every election since. Tuesday’s General elections were no different as she cast her ballot at the Belmont Baptist Church precinct.

“I think it is a citizens privilege, not a duty, but a privilege to vote,” said Hopper. “You can’t blame who you’ve got if you don’t vote. You can blame them if you do vote though.”

Hopper like many residents waiting until election day to cast their ballots. Some 50 people were lined up waiting to vote at the Belmont precinct in Calhoun at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the polling manager.

With a good start to early voting in for Tuesday’s General Elections in Gordon County, citizens across with the state of Georgia, were not as present at the polls this election than in the 2008 General Elections. Early elections in Gordon County brought out 7,014 early voters, down from the 2008 number of 8,527, according to records from the Gordon County Elections office and voter registration.

“We had 45 days of early voting then, now we only have three weeks,” said Shea Hicks with the Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration. “Very few people were taking advantage of early voting, costing counties a lot of money. It is more effective this way.”

The total number of registered voters in Gordon County was also higher, with 25,131 registered in 2008 as opposed to Tuesday’s general election which saw 25,347 total registered voters.

Hicks says the election ran smoothly and no major problems were experienced during the process.