Early voting for the Aug. 21 primary runoff will begin today.

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp did not certify the election results until late Tuesday, which put off the creation of ballots for the runoff an extra day.

Early voting is scheduled to run through Aug. 17. Voters can cast ballots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hall County Elections Office, 2875 Browns Bridge Road.

Absentee ballots are available starting Friday through Aug. 17.

Registered voters who did not take part in the primary still are able to vote in the runoff. Voters who cast ballots in the Republican and nonpartisan primaries are eligible for the runoff as well. Those who cast a Democratic ballot, however, do not have any races left to decide.

Hall Elections Director Charlotte Sosebee has predicted an 18 percent turnout for the runoff. The last runoff in 2008 brought out only 6.7 percent of voters.

Five races are on the Republican ballot in Hall County, matching the top two candidates for the 9th District U.S. House, Hall County Board of Commissioners chairman, sheriff, tax commissioner and probate judge.

Of those, only the winner of the U.S. House race faces a Democratic opponent in November.