Georgians set early voting record with over 4 million ballots cast before Election Day
ATLANTA - Over 4 million Georgians have already cast their ballots during early voting this year. That's over half of all registered voters in the state.
Both presidential campaigns have been adamant about asking Georgians to get to the polls early during early voting. Still, there are around 3 million registered voters across the state who have yet to cast their ballot, so experts still expect lots of people to head to the polls on Tuesday.
"I think that Georgians understand that partisan politics, that's not what's on the ballot. People are concerned about their taxes, their quality of life. They're looking at this as a patriotic duty," Alicia Hughes, an assistant professor at the Emory University School of Law, said.
Nearly 56-percent of registered voters in Georgia cast their ballots during early voting, which the Secretary of State's office called unprecedented. That's around 1.5 million more people voting early compared to four years ago.
"I think that people are concerned, you know, the amount of travel that you've got in the area. A number of people concerned about where they will be on election day," Hughes said.
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CLARKSTON, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 1: A voter holds up their sticker after casting their ballot on the last day of early voting for the 2024 election on November 1, 2024 in Clarkston, Georgia. Georgia has had a record turn out for early voting with nearly
According to data from the Secretary of State's office, more women voted early than men. People between ages 50 and 70 made up the largest age group of early voters, with younger voters between ages 18 and 24 not far behind.
With over 3 million registered voters in the state still needing to cast their ballot, experts still say there could be long lines at some voting locations.
"My anticipation is, for the most part, that people should be able to get in and out of there in 30 minutes or under. In some instances, it might take 45," Hughes said.
She also said it's important for anyone heading to the polls Tuesday to know which location they need to head to and to have a plan in place to make sure their vote is counted.
"If they're in line by 7 p.m., under Georgia state law, they are allowed to stay there even if it means waiting until 9 p.m. to cast that ballot so long as they're in line by 7 p.m.," Hughes explained.
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Unlike during early voting where you can vote anywhere in the county you are registered in, anyone voting on election day has to head to a specific polling place. You can find yours here.