Which races most interested Fayette voters? The vote totals tell the tale: With a nearly 79 percent turnout, Fayette voters chose the presidential race as the most important, followed by the renewal of the education local option sales tax (E-SPLOST).
Following those two were the charter school amendment, the statewide Public Service Commission race involving Chuck Eaton and then the Post 2 Board of Education race between Mary Kay Bacallao and Terri Smith.
More than 58,400 Fayette Countians cast ballots for Mitt Romney, Barack Obama and Gary Johnson (the Libertarian candidate) in the ballot-topping race.
In the local E-SPLOST question, 56,250 residents voted. Next were the charter school amendment (55,767), the PSC race (54,319) and then the Bacallao-Smith race (54,218).
With all precincts reporting, the E-SPLOST passed with 53.72 percent of the vote and Mary Kay Bacallao won the Post 2 seat on the Fayette County Board of Education with 64.81 percent.
Also, Fayetteville voters have approved the TAD referendum 2-to-1, according to the Fayette County Elections Office.
By the numbers, here are the final unofficial tallies:
School Board Post 2 —
Mary Kay Bacallao (R) — 35,165 (64.81 pct)
Terri Smith (incumbent) (D) — 19,053 (35.11 pct)
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E-SPLOST renewal —
Yes — 30,218 (53.72 pct)
No — 26,032 (46.28 pct)
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Charter school Amendment 1 (Fayette results only) —
Yes — 34,465 (61.8 pct)
No — 21,302 (38.2 pct)
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Fayetteville Tax Allocation District referendum (2 precincts in Fayetteville only)
Yes — 3,499 (69.88%)
No — 1,508 (30.12%)
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U.S. President (Fayette only) —
Mitt Romney (R) — 38, 046 (65.07%)
Barack Obama (D) — 19,703 (33.7%)
Gary Johnson (L) — 724 (1.24%)
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