Oconee County Voters Will Help Select 76 Delegates In Presidential Primary March 6

Following the election in Florida on Tuesday, attention will shift significantly to March 6--Super Tuesday-- when Georgia joins six other states in holding presidential primaries.

Barack Obama will be the only name on the Democratic ballot, but the Republican ballot includes the names of nine candidates or former candidates, including the four leading in the polls today nationally and in Florida.

Given the way delegates are selected, Oconee County voters–who have a history of going to the polls in high numbers–will have impact on the outcome.

Voters in each of the newly created 14 Congressional Districts in the state will select three delegates, for a total of 42. Thirty-one are allocated proportionately among the contenders who receive at least 20 percent of the vote statewide. The three remaining delegates are for party leadership and are bound to the candidate receiving the most votes statewide.

Oconee County is part of the new 10th District, which extends south to Johnson County and includes the northern suburbs of Augusta.

For more on the presidential primary and the recent history of Oconee County votes in such elections, go to Oconee County Observations.