Will Wilkes County voters turn out for Tuesday's run-off? Only a handful of voters in District 3 may decide which candidate - Danny Cosby or John Howard - will get the County Commission seat held by Marshall Sherrer in Tuesday's voting.

Everyone in the precinct is eligible, but since turnout for primary run-off elections is often low, an active handful of people may have an impact.

It's really a matter of duty, however. "Voters haven't completed their vote until they've voted in the run-off," Wilkes County Supervisor of Elections Judge Jim Burton. "I want to remind voters that their duty is not complete until they've voted in the run-off. The run-off is just an extension of the primary, and I urge everyone to make their voice heard by voting."

In the July 18 primary, Howard topped the District 3 voting with 47.45 percent against Cosby's 39.34

percent, but since neither received more than 50 percent, the two Rayle men meet in Tuesday's run-off election.

Close elections statewide are also requiring a run-off election to decide between Greg Hecht and Jim Martin as the Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor. In the campaign for Georgia Secretary of State, run-offs were forced in both party races, with Democrats Gail Buckner and Darryl Hicks, and Republicans Karen Handel and Bill Stephens making the cut.

In the race for Agriculture Commissioner, Georgia Republicans will have to choose between Gary Black and Brian Kemp in the run-off.

Overall, only about one in five Wilkes County voters cared enough to vote in July's primary - 21.33 percent. Rayle's Precinct 3-B topped the county turnout tally with nearly a third of registered voters casting ballots, while Precinct 4-B only had less than 15 percent vote.