[ June 17, 2026 ] The votes have been counted for the June 16, 2026, General Primary Runoff Election. While local county seats were locked in during the initial May primary, local voters headed back to the polls to finalize key regional, state, and federal nominations. Below is the local breakdown of how Pickens County voted, along with the official voter turnout statistics.
PICKENS COUNTY VOTER TURNOUT
According to the local election summary, a total of 5,520 ballots were cast out of the county's 27,329 registered voters, resulting in a 20.20% overall turnout for the runoff.
The voting methods broke down as follows:
Election Day Voting: 3,036 ballots (11.11% turnout)
Advance (Early) Voting: 2,330 ballots (8.53% turnout)
Absentee by Mail: 154 ballots (0.56% turnout)
Provisional Ballots: 0
LOCAL REPUBLICAN RUNOFF BREAKDOWN
The Republican ballot drew the vast majority of local participation in Pickens, with 5,243 to 5,244 total ballots cast across the individual contests. Here is how Pickens County voters aligned on the GOP candidates:
U.S. Senate: Mike Collins took the local lead with 2,787 votes, outstripping Derek Dooley, who received 2,378 votes.
Governor: Rick Jackson won the county decisively with 3,040 votes, compared to Burt Jones at 2,169 votes.
Lieutenant Governor: Greg Dolezal outpaced John F. Kennedy locally, 2,860 votes to 2,227 votes.
Secretary of State: Tim Fleming received the local nod with 2,878 votes over Vernon Jones' 2,073 votes.
State School Superintendent: In an incredibly tight local finish, incumbent Richard Woods edged out Fred "Bubba" Longgrear by just 35 votes, finishing 2,461 to 2,426.
Public Service Commissioner (District 5): Josh Tolbert secured 2,845 local votes over Bobby Mehan, who brought in 1,757 votes.
U.S. House of Representatives (District 11): John Cowan won the county comfortably with 3,180 votes ahead of Rob Adkerson at 1,736 votes.
State Senate (District 51): Will Wade took the Pickens vote with 2,889 votes against Philip Milam's 2,066 votes.
LOCAL DEMOCRATIC RUNOFF BREAKDOWN
Turnout for the local Democratic runoff saw a total of 276 ballots cast (1.01% turnout). The local Pickens choices finished as follows:
Lieutenant Governor: Josh McLaurin garnered 189 votes over Nabilah Parkes' 85 votes.
Secretary of State: Dana Barrett topped the local count with 144 votes to Penny Brown Reynolds' 129 votes.
Commissioner of Insurance: DeAndre Mathis won the county with 141 votes over Keisha Sean Waites at 126 votes.
Commissioner of Labor: Nikki Porcher received 138 votes ahead of Michelle Michi Sanchez's 127 votes.
OVERALL GEORGIA RESULTS
Please note that the figures listed above reflect the local vote totals within Pickens County only. These metrics are considered unofficial and incomplete until final certification.
To see how these numbers factor into the final statewide outcomes and who officially clinched the party nominations across Georgia, you can view the live tally directly on the state portal:
View Official Statewide Georgia Election Runoff Results
----------
The May primaries are behind us, but several key state and federal races are still undecided. Because no single candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in these contests, we are heading to a General Primary Runoff Election on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
To help you prepare, KnowPickens has compiled all the essential voting dates, times, location info, and official sample ballots for both parties below.
EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE
If you want to bypass the lines on Election Day, early in-person voting is available for one week only:
Dates: Monday, June 8th through Friday, June 12th
Hours: 8 am to 5 pm daily
Location: Pickens County Recreation Center, 1329 Camp Road, Jasper, GA
ELECTION DAY VOTING
If you choose to vote on Election Day, you must go to your regular assigned voting precinct.
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Hours: Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm
WHAT IS ON THE BALLOT?
While local Pickens County government and Board of Education races were settled in May, several high-profile regional, statewide, and federal primary nominations are on the line.
Review the candidate matchups below or download the sample ballots directly to see exactly who is running.
SAMPLE BALLOTS
Democratic
Republican
DEMOCRATIC RUNOFF MATCHUPS
Lieutenant Governor: Josh McLaurin vs. Nabilah Parkes
Secretary of State: Dana Barrett vs. Penny Brown Reynolds
Commissioner of Insurance: DeAndre Mathis vs. Keisha Sean Waites
Commissioner of Labor: Nikki Porcher vs. Michelle Michi Sanchez
REPUBLICAN RUNOFF MATCHUPS
U.S. Senate: Mike Collins vs. Derek Dooley
Governor: Rick Jackson vs. Burt Jones
Lieutenant Governor: Greg Dolezal vs. John F. Kennedy
Secretary of State: Tim Fleming vs. Vernon Jones
State School Superintendent: Fred "Bubba" Longgrear vs. Richard Woods (Incumbent)
Public Service Commissioner (District 5): Bobby Mehan vs. Josh Tolbert
U.S. House of Representatives (District 11): Rob Adkerson vs. John Cowan
State Senate (District 51): Philip Milam vs. Will Wade
**** PRECINCT CHANGES ****
Voters in Pickens County should be aware of several permanent polling place changes.
The Appalachian Precinct will now vote at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, located at 1036 North Main Street in Jasper; the Hill City Precinct has moved to Woodstock Church of Jasper at 5335 Highway 53 West; and the Refuge Precinct> will vote at First Christian Church of Jasper, 22 Burgess Road West.
QUESTIONS?
Can I vote in the runoff if I didn't vote in the May 19th primary?
Yes! As long as you were registered to vote by the May 18th deadline, you are eligible to vote in the runoff.
Can I switch parties for the runoff election?
No. Georgia law dictates that if you voted a specific party ballot during the primary (e.g., Republican or Democratic), you must vote that same party ballot for the runoff. However, if you did not vote in the primary at all, you may choose either ballot for the runoff election.
For questions, voter registration status, or to confirm your Election Day precinct location, you can log into the state's My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.
You can also contact the Pickens County Board of Elections & Registration directly:
PHONE
706-253-8781
ADDRESS
3100 Camp Rd, Suite B, Jasper, GA 30143
HOURS
Monday-Friday from 8 AM - 5 PM
WEBSITE
www.pickensgaelections.com
KnowPickens is a privately owned community resource. We share local voter information as a third-party service to keep our community informed and maintain an accessible public record.
