THOMASVILLE — At 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards were neck-and-neck in Georgia’s Democratic Primary. Thomas County’s unofficial results reflected what appears to be inevitable — Kerry will face President Bush in a showdown for the White House.

Kerry carried Thomas County, taking 49.6 percent of the Democrat votes cast (1,166). Edwards finished with 37.7 percent, claiming 877 votes. Rev. Al Sharpton came in a distant third, raking in 107. Initial numbers coming out of the Thomas County Courthouse were in favor of Kerry but as more precincts reported, the underdog Edwards stormed back. In Ochlocknee, Edwards took 71.2 percent of the Democrat vote, but minutes later when Harper and Boston reported, Kerry won overwhelmingly.

It was a different story in Grady County, where Edwards shined, taking 50.3 percent of the votes (740) with 12 of the county’s 15 precinct’s reporting. Kerry came in second with 566 votes while former candidate Howard Dean rallied to garner 55 votes to finish third.

Georgia voters also chose between the 2001 flag — a state seal on a plain of royal blue with a ribbon of historical flags in miniature underneath — and the current state flag, which is reminiscent of the national flag of the Confederacy, without the famous “X.”

Statewide, the current flag was the overwhelming winner, with voters choosing it over the plain blue flage 3-to-1. The blue flag adopted by former Gov. Roy Barnes did not carry a single county in the state. Unofficial Thomas County results show that voters chose the current flag almost unanimously, with the 2003 flag getting 73.8 percent of the vote.

Pugh is in favor of replacing the Peach State’s current banner.

“Somehow or another, the new one that they have, it kind of still reminds me of the Confederacy,” Pugh said. “But the blue one…it’s straight and legal all the way down the line.”

This isn’t so for Rep. Ellis Black. He says the non-binding flag referendum — which was set up by lawmakers last year because of unrest over the first flag change — is “not a real vote.”

“When this is over and done with, there are going to be people attempting to read into this things that may or may not be there,” Black said.

However, he voted to keep the current flag, calling it “less offensive than the blue one.”

Rep. Hugh Broome and Sen. John Bulloch support the current flag, but prefer the 1956 flag.

“I support the current flag,” Bulloch said. ” I just think its a prettier symbol as a representation of the state of Georgia. (The blue flag) is just not a pretty flag.”

“Some group voted it the ugliest flag in the country,” Ellis cracked.

According to a written statement by Gov. Sonny Perdue, the flag debate has been put to bed

“Today the people of Georgia spoke with great clarity regarding which flag will fly over our state,” he said. “This was a difficult process with people of goodwill holding very different positions. While I recommended that an additional choice be available to the people, the Legislature came to a different conclusion and I respected their decision.

“I believe the people chose a beautiful banner, which reflects our history and heritage and I will be proud to see it continue to fly over Georgia.”

Although the Kerry/Edwards race was still too close to call in Georgia at press time, the Associated Press reported Edwards will announce today that he is not actively seeking the Democrat nomination for the White House.

Super Tuesday in Georgia didn’t live up to its billing — at least in Thomasville. According to unofficial numbers from all of Thomas County’s precincts, 3,474 — 17.93 percent — of the 19,376 registered voters in the county took to the polls.

Around noon at the Jerger Elementary precinct, the only sounds heard were laughing children in the hallway as poll workers sat quietly in the empty gymnasium as a lone woman cast her vote in Georgia’s presidential preference.

“It’s been slow,” precinct manager Ross Jones said. “We haven’t had people wanting to come out as much. We hope it will pick up more this afternoon. Hopefully we will get more parents coming in when they pick up their children.”

That never happened. Of the 1,700 registered voters who report to Jerger, 258 voted.

Outside the precinct Tuesday afternoon, David Dupriest said his vote was with Edwards.

“He’s just more appealing to me,” he said.

Ginny Howard put her support behind President Bush.

“I firmly stand behind George Bush,” Howard said. “I just think he’s done a good job so far, and I just want him to keep going.”

It was much of the same at the Butler-Mason YMCA precinct around 2:30 p.m. Only 115 of the 1,600 people who are registered to vote at the precinct had shown, precinct manager Barbara Collins said.

“That’s not been very good but it’s gone very well for those who have voted,” Collins said, citing that the new electronic voting machines had been well-received. “The machines have caused no problems. Some of the older people seemed like they’ve been very enthused over voting on the machines.”

After casting his vote, George Pugh seemed confident in the electability of Kerry.

“I feel right now, that John Kerry will be the best deal that the Democrats have going for them.” Pugh said. “I’ve listened to all the others on the platform and he seems to kind of give me a better insight on the future and where he’s going than any the rest of them have.”