Turnout for the biannual municipal elections has been extremely low over the last decade, and early voting numbers suggest this year is not likely to be any different.

Through the end of the day on Thursday, only 85 people had cast a ballot in the entire county, a fraction of a percent of the total electorate, said Carroll County Elections Supervisor Patti Brown-Traylor. In a year when a high number of candidates are running for municipal and school board offices, it’s especially surprising that the races haven’t generated more attention, she said.

“That’s not very good, not even for a municipal election,” Brown-Traylor said. “It’s a bit of a shock because some of the seats that are normally unopposed are opposed this time around.”

Brown-Traylor anticipates turnout to be between 10 and 15 percent for the Nov. 3 election, which would continue a recent trend of dwindling turnouts for municipal races since 1997. In that year, there was a turnout of about 18 percent for the various elections. The next two municipal election cycles, in 1999 and 2001, saw slight increases in turnout at 19 percent and 22 percent, respectively, though the 2003 elections saw turnout plummet to slightly less than 16 percent. It has fallen off from there, dipping to 10 percent in 2005 and again hitting 10 percent in 2007.

What a low turnout will mean as far as the election results go is yet to be seen, but a number of area candidates said it’s more than likely to benefit the incumbents.

Joe McGinnis, the Ward 2 incumbent on the Carrollton Board of Education, said that even with a referendum on Sunday alcohol-by-the-drink sales on the Carrollton ballot, turnout is likely to be low, which may in this case be to his advantage.

“The whiskey referendum might increase it some, but I think it will probably be low, but that’s the secret to winning: getting the people out to vote,” McGinnis said. “I think a higher turnout would probably help my opponent. I feel like the people who would vote for me are going to vote regardless of what comes up.”

His opponent for the Ward 2 seat, Bruce Brewer, agreed, saying that a lower turnout could potentially work in his favor, though regardless of the turnout it’s going to be a close race.

“Personally, I feel like a low turnout will affect my race but all these races will be decided on a handful of votes,” Brewer said. “I think the challenger has to work a little harder. I feel like the incumbent has an easier go of it.”

While turnout is likely to be low, and a low turnout is likely to help the incumbent, it’s important that people still get out and perform their civic duty because nobody else is going to do it for them, said Scott Bates, challenger for the Ward 5 seat on the Villa Rica City Council.

“I’m to the point, and I’ve always felt this way, if people aren’t going to get out and vote, I’m not going to take them to the polls,” Bates said. “I’m not going to beg someone for a vote. I’ll ask them, but I’m not going to beg them.”

Woody Holland, the incumbent for the Ward 5 seat, said that because there’s no mayoral race on the Villa Rica ballot, it will almost surely guarantee a low turnout, though he said he’s unsure whether a low turnout would benefit him or his opponent.

Early voting continues through the end of the day on Oct. 30 at the Carroll County David Perry Administration Building on College Street in downtown Carrollton.