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FULL: Early voting first day press conference AM
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gabe Sterling provide an update on the first day of early voting at a 10:30 a.m. press conference on Oct. 15.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - 11 A.M. UPDATE: Early voting is underway in Georgia.
Long lines have been observed in several polling locations, including three polling locations in Cherokee County.
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.
136,000 voted on the first day of early voting in 2020 and 134,000 voted on the same day in 2022, according to State Election Director Blake Evans.
According to the Election Data Hub, 265,086 absentee ballots have been requested; 261,752 were issued; 12,936 ballots have been returned; and 12,861 have been accepted as of Oct. 15.
ORIGINAL STORY
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Steady flow of voters in DeKalb County
There's been a steady flow of voters all morning in DeKalb County. Today is the first day of early voting in Georgia.
As early voting kicks off in Georgia, both presidential campaigns are urging their supporters to head to the polls. With Georgia emerging as a battleground state, its 16 electoral votes could be the key to determining the next president.
"Georgia voters are more engaged than ever this year, more than other states," said an analyst, highlighting the heightened attention on the state.
This focus is reflected in a surge of political ads and visits from key candidates. Today, former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Cobb County and participate in a FOX News town hall in Forsyth County. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris will host a rally in Atlanta, aiming to boost turnout now that voting is underway.
"You’re going to see both parties working hard to energize their traditional base," a political expert noted, underscoring the intense effort to capture early votes.
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Voters line up early for first day of early voting
FOX 5 Atlanta found several people who lined up early for early voting in DeKalb County, including a woman who came to her voting location at 3 a.m.
One early voter, determined to avoid long lines, arrived at her polling place at 3 a.m.
"I just want to make sure I don't have to join the long line, you know? So I just want to get it out of the way. We definitely need to get out there and cast the vote," she said.
Election 2024: What you need to know for early voting
Having followed both candidates' campaigns, she feels confident in her choice and emphasized the importance of voting early.
High turnout is expected during the early voting period, which could result in longer wait times at polling locations. Both campaigns are closely monitoring early voting data to gauge how the race is shaping up.
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"They’ll be paying very close attention to trends, especially whether young voters will show up," said an election analyst.
Here are some key dates for Georgia voters:
- Oct. 25: Last day to request an absentee ballot
- Mandatory Saturday voting: October 19 and October 26
- Nov. 1: Final day of early voting
- Nov. 5: Election Day
With early voting underway, both campaigns hope to lock in as many votes as possible before the official Election Day on Nov. 5.