Georgia voter turnout update: Approximately 40% of voters have cast ballots

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Published  October 28, 2024 1:51pm EDT
FOX 5 Atlanta

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 15: Stickers sit on a table on the first day of early voting at Atlanta Metropolitan State College on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Early voting takes place from October 15 - November 1, ahead of Election Day on Nov …

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FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - As of 1 p.m. on Oct. 28, 40.1% of registered voters in Georgia have already cast their ballots for the 2024 presidential election. The state has 7,219,288 active voters, and so far, 2,916,979 of them have voted in person.

Votes Received So Far:

  • Early voting in person: 2,739,787
  • Absentee ballots returned: 177,192

Top Counties by In-Person Votes:

  • Chatham County: 65,691
  • Cherokee County: 82,161
  • Clayton County: 58,024
  • Coweta County: 46,267
  • DeKalb County: 196,711
  • Gwinnett County: 213,576
  • Fayette County: 43,866
  • Forsyth County: 81,183
  • Fulton County: 306,379
  • Hall County: 54,698
  • Henry County: 72,693
  • Muscogee County: 38,941
  • Paulding County: 41,893

Voter Demographics by Race:

  • White: 1,667,221 (46.7%)
  • Black: 733,334 (35.8%)
  • Other: 255,895 (35%)
  • Hispanic/Latino: 71,111 (23.9%)
  • Asian/Pacific Islander: 68,849 (33.5%)
  • American Indian: 12,255 (24.1%)

Voter Turnout by Gender:

  • Female: 1,564,184 (55.7%)
  • Male: 1,238,917 (44.1%)
  • Other: 5,204 (0.27%)

Voter Turnout by Age Group:

  • 60-64 years: 313,216 (55.8%)
  • 65-69 years: 300,746 (58.3%)
  • 55-59 years: 287,996 (55.6%)
  • 50-54 years: 267,150 (45.5%)
  • 70-74 years: 256,460 (64.8%)
  • 45-49 years: 207,692 (38.6%)
  • 75-79 years: 195,764 (66%)
  • 40-44 years: 185,610 (32.7%)
  • 18-24 years: 177,725 (22.3%)

Summary:

With less than two weeks until Election Day, 40.1% of Georgia's registered voters have already cast ballots, reflecting a strong turnout in the 2024 presidential election. Of the 2.89 million votes received so far, 94% were cast in person, while absentee ballots made up the remainder. Fulton and Gwinnett counties recorded the highest in-person turnout, with more than 500,000 combined votes. Voter participation trends show higher turnout among older age groups, with 66% of those aged 75-79 having already voted, compared to just 22.3% of voters aged 18-24. Additionally, 55.7% of the ballots cast came from female voters.

According to the Secretary of State, reports of long lines have been minimal, though there have been some reports of voters waiting in line for more than 30 minutes at some of the popular locations. The Secretary of State also says that early voting turnout is expected to increase during the final week of voting, which ends Friday.

What's happening in the rest of the country?

CNN is tracking pre-election ballots in the 36 votes that offer early voting, as well as how early voting numbers compare with four years ago, when pre-election voting reached historic levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to CNN, Democrats held a wide advantage over Republicans in early voting four years ago, but the gap could be narrower this time.

Also, it appears that Democrats have cast a smaller share of pre-election ballots this year than at this point in 2020 in at least 4 (Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada, and Pennsylvania) of the 7 battleground states. 

Another difference in 2024 is the age of the voters with older voters dominating, including Georgia.

Unfortunately, the number of Black voters appears to be slightly down. So far, only 29% of Black voters have voted in Georgia compared with 32% at this same point during the last presidential election. 

According to the New York Times, Georgia is in the top 5 of states with most ballots cast BY PERCENTAGE:

North Carolina: 2,820,002 or 42%

South Dakota: 235,405 or 42%

Georgia: 2,831,512 or 40%

Vermont: 158,311 or 35%

Florida: 4,598,924 or 34%

When it comes to absentee ballots requested, Georgia is among the states with the least amount requested. Only 5% of the voters in Georgia requested absentee ballots. Only 7 other states have fewer requests, according to New York Times. 

Question: Can people see who you voted for?

No. Although it is possible to look up voter registration information, it is NOT possible to learn someone's vote choices without their consent. 

Question: Is voting early a great way to skip the lines?

Yes, early voters often experience shorter lines.

Question: Is voting on Election Day still the most popular way to vote?

Yes. Although it has certainly become more popular to vote early, the majority of Americans still wait until Election day.