Georgia early voting sets record as turnout nears 365,000

Georgia’s early voting opened with a midterm record, as 188,667 voters cast ballots in person on Oct. 13. That was more than 53,000 above the first-day total in 2022, according to the Secretary of State’s Office .

Since voting began, the statewide totals have grown to nearly 365,000 in-person voters and more than 16,000 accepted absentee ballots, the office reported. Georgia has more than 7.5 million active voters.

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he expects turnout to challenge or surpass the 2022 record, when nearly 4 million Georgians voted.

"Voters right now, they are just energized," Raffensperger said. "I fully expect we will probably have numbers that will beat the previous record in 2022... we almost hit 4 million."

Voters interviewed at locations including the C.T. Martin Recreation Center and Buckhead Library described short waits despite steady traffic. "I came yesterday around 10 a.m.," voter Jennifer Mitchell said. "The line... maybe 15 people ahead of me, but it was speedy."

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A new step at the polls

Poll workers must now handwrite each voter’s name on a numbered list after checking the voter in electronically. The measure creates an additional paper record of who has voted; it is handled by poll workers and does not require voters to take an extra step.

Early voting schedule

Early voting runs through Oct. 30, but hours and locations vary by county. Saturday voting is scheduled for Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, with some counties also offering Sunday voting on Oct. 18 or Oct. 25.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.