Effingham County voters can start heading back to the electronic voting machines this week to take part in five runoff elections.

Effingham elections officials will have the voting machines ready for early voting no later than Wednesday, after logic and accuracy testing is done Tuesday. Early voting will run through Friday at the board of elections office on Ash Street, across from the Effingham County Board of Education auditorium. Advance voting will take place Nov. 24-26 and the hours for both early and advance voting will be 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

“The runoff is such a fast turnaround,” said Effingham County elections supervisor Gail Whitehead. “You only have a little bit of turnaround time.”

The runoff will be held Dec. 2. Local races involved include the chief magistrate and probate court judge. Scott Hinson and Scott Lewis are the candidates for the chief magistrate position. The probate court judge race will be decided between Beth Rahn Mosley and Richard Rafter.

Three statewide races are taking place. Incumbent Saxby Chambliss will face challenger Jim Martin to decide a U.S. Senate seat. Lauren “Bubba” McDonald and Jim Powell are contesting a seat on the Public Service Commission and Sara Doyle and Mike Ruffin are running for the open seat on the state Court of Appeals.

More than 71 percent (20,392) of Effingham’s 28,584 registered voters took part in the Nov. 4 general election. Runoffs generally do not draw the interest of primaries or general elections, Whitehead said.

Need to know where you vote?
Voters who are not sure where they are supposed to go on Dec. 2 to vote can go to the Secretary of State’s Web site and use the following link http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/polllocator/PollLocator.aspx —  to find their polling place.