ABBEVILLE — Wilcox County voters will be the only ones in the Dispatch’s tri-county coverage area to settle a local political race in today’s statewide run-off election.

Voters in Crisp and Dooly have the opportunity to vote in three statewide races, including the closely watched contest between U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Moultrie) and challenger Jim Martin (D-Atlanta), but Wilcox voters will also choose a new county commissioner.

David Brown and Marvin Talley are the two candidates remaining in the race for the District 2 seat on the Wilcox County Board of Commissioners. The winner today will replace incumbent Marcy Stone, who was the third-place finisher for the slot in the Nov. 4 general election.

Wilcox County Probate Judge Betty Jean Anderson said advance voting last week was “pretty steady,” with nearly 200 turning out to cast an early ballot. Anderson said many voters have expressed enthusiasm about advance voting, still a fairly new concept in Georgia’s electoral history.

“I think our people are really enjoying it,” Anderson said. “I think they appreciate having the opportunity to vote early.”

Wilcox County’s six voting precincts will be open at 7 a.m. this morning along with the many others across the state. Polls officially close at 7 p.m. today.

In Rochelle, voters will turn around and do it all over again Wednesday with an election for city offices. The first Wednesday in December is Rochelle’s traditional election day for local offices.

Three candidates qualified to run for mayor of Rochelle. James Rhodes, the incumbent who took over in June when then-Mayor Ralph Sutton resigned, is seeking a full term as mayor and is challenged by James Hillard and Franklin McDuffie.

Four candidates qualified for three city council seats in Rochelle’s District 2. Incumbents Herman Greene and Wayne McGuinty are joined by Nat Reid and Cliff Lindsay in that race.

National pundits are watching Georgia today, however, for the race between Chambliss and Martin. Chambliss was 9,199 votes shy of winning his first re-election bid outright in the Nov. 4 general election, and both candidates have received high-powered backing in the days leading to the run-off election.

Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin appeared with Chambliss in a series of campaign stops Monday, and Martin has been touted by President-elect Barack Obama. The race is closely watched because Democrats control 58 seats in the U.S. Senate. A win by Martin would put the Democrats one seat away from a filibuster-proof majority.

Lower on the statewide ballot — and the political radar — are races for a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Public Service Commission.

In the non-partisan judicial race, Sara Doyle and Mike Sheffield are the last two candidates standing in what was a five-candidate race while Republican Bubba McDonald and Democrat Jim Powell face off for the PSC post.