Election 2024: Georgia officials battling misinformation on final day of early voting

Final day of early voting in Georgia

Friday is the last day of early voting in Georgia, and election officials are getting ready for what's expected to be a very busy day at the polls.

ATLANTA - Georgia election officials are fighting against false claims and what they say is targeted disinformation as the state begins its final day of early voting in the 2024 election.

As of Friday morning, nearly 3.7 million Georgians had cast their votes early - more than 51% of the state's total number of active voters. Of those, more than 3.4 million had voted in person.

Election officials say the record-breaking turnout is a reflection of the improvements they've made to the election process in Georgia, and they're continuing to work hard to make the process easy and trustworthy.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted the state’s significant preparations leading to this election, highlighting infrastructure investments and expanded early voting days.

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"Georgia voters know we’ve made it easy to cast a ballot. It’s really that simple," he said. "Over the past four years, we’ve worked tirelessly to prepare for this election… We’re battle-tested and ready, despite the critics."

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is seen at a press conference providing an update on early voting in Atlanta on Oct. 30, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Officials say there have been some challenges, including battling misinformation spread on social media.

On Thursday night, Raffensperger put out a statement condemning a video that appeared to show a Haitian immigrant with multiple Georgia IDs claiming to have voted multiple times.

Raffensperger called the video "obviously false," and likely foreign interference from "Russian troll farms."

He said that his office was actively working with state and federal partners to investigate the video and urged the owners of social media platforms, specifically calling on Elon Musk, to remove the video.

"As Americans we can’t let our enemies use lies to divide us and undermine faith in our institutions - or each other," he wrote on X.

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Last-minute campaign stops in Georgia

With less than 5 days until Election Day, candidates and their surrogates are making plans to visit the Peach State to try to win its 16 electoral votes.

Though reports of long wait times were minimal statewide, some popular metro locations reported waits exceeding 30 minutes. Officials anticipate higher numbers on Friday, the final day for early voting. Some parts of Georgia, such as Fulton County, have closed their libraries for anything but voting in an effort to make things more efficient.

Georgia voters planning to cast their vote on Friday can do so at any advanced voting location in their county. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

After today, you'll have to wait until Election Day on Tuesday to vote. Details about precinct locations, times, and and other resources can be found on the Secretary of State's website.

Where do I vote?

You can find your polling location through the My Voter Page.

What do I need to bring?

A valid state or federal government-issued photo ID (including free IDs from county registrars or the Georgia Department of Driver Services)
A Georgia driver’s license (even if expired)
A student ID from a Georgia public college or university
A valid employee photo ID from any federal, state, or local government agency
A valid U.S. passport or U.S. military photo ID
A valid tribal photo ID with a photograph of the voter