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Election board member predicts huge turnout
By SHANNON McCAFFREY - Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA --A Republican member of Georgia's election board predicted a massive turnout in the state for the November general election, particularly in precincts friendly to presumed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Randy Evans said Obama "is going to drive turnout like we've never seen before."

Evans said in 20 to 25 precincts turnout could exceed 90 percent of registered voters. Most of those precincts are in parts of metro Atlanta that will likely support Obama, he said. John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee for the general election.

Evans said overall turnout in the state could be about 85 percent of registered voters, up from 77 percent in the last presidential race in 2004. Republican incumbent George W. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry in that race in Georgia with 58 percent of the vote.

Evans, a GOP election lawyer, based his projections on voter registration data and historic turnout patterns.

Secretary of State Karen Handel declined to offer an official state projection on turnout for the presidential contest except to say that Georgia was prepared to handle whatever election day brought.

"I think everyone understands there's going to be a significant level of scrutiny," Handel said.

Voter registration has been on the rise in Georgia, jumping 4 percent in advance of the Feb. 5 presidential primary. Handel, a Republican, said the rise in registered voters mirrors increases seen ahead of the 2004 presidential race.

The Central Georgian, 2008,  Disclaimer..