Georgia sets record early voting turnout on day 1, surging past previous highs
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia voters set a new early voting record Tuesday as officials reported record-breaking turnout across the state.
As of 3:30 p.m., more than 234,000 voters had cast their ballots, surpassing daily records set in 2022. The early voting period, which began today, will continue for the next two weeks.
Just four hours later, Gabe Sterling, COO of the Secretary of State’s office, updated that number.
"Over 300,000 votes cast today! That’s 123% higher than the old record for the 1st day. Great job counties & voters."
By 10:30 p.m., state election officials tallied more than 305,000 votes cast with some counties still uploading their final numbers.
"Georgia voters are energized! Our county election directors are outstanding," said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. He also emphasized that by 10:29 a.m., 71,054 voters had already cast their ballots.
Huge turnout so far for first day of early voting
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger just held a press conference where they said things were going smoothly throughout the state. Raffensperger said that by 10:30 a.m., more than 71,000 people had voted in Georgia, which is nearly half the total for the entire first day of early voting in 2022.
Long lines were observed at several polling locations, including three sites in Cherokee County, with voters at the Buckhead Library in Atlanta waiting patiently to cast their ballots. Doug Maclean, a voter, remarked, "I expected to see people out here. I'm not sure I expected a line this long." Despite this, many were eager to vote early.
"I wanted to get it out of the way. Didn't want to have to wait for election day," said Lauren Ware, another early voter.
Election officials have worked to ensure that Hurricane Helene does not disrupt voting. Raffensperger credited state and local teams, stating, "We put our heads down, we did our job, and that’s what people expect of us." Raffensperger also emphasized the integrity of Georgia’s election system, noting that all measures taken in recent years ensure that voters can trust the results.
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Sterling echoed this sentiment. "We test the machines beforehand, we test during, and we have audits afterwards... We feel like we have done everything we can to be transparent," Sterling said.
Both presidential campaigns are urging supporters to head to the polls, with Georgia emerging as a key battleground state. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Cobb County, while Vice President Kamala Harris will host a rally in Atlanta on Saturday.
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The Election Data Hub reports that, as of today, 265,086 absentee ballots have been requested, with 12,861 already accepted. High turnout is expected throughout the early voting period, which could result in long lines at polling locations.
"I feel like this is the most important election of our lifetimes," said Leslie Jackson, one voter at a polling station.
Here are some key dates for Georgia voters:
- Oct. 25: Last day to request an absentee ballot
- Mandatory Saturday voting: Oct. 19 and Oct. 26
- Nov. 1: Final day of early voting
- Nov. 5: Election Day
With both campaigns closely monitoring early voting, election officials expect the race to remain competitive as Georgians continue to cast their ballots ahead of the official Election Day on Nov. 5.