Georgia continues to break early voting records.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State, more than 2.7 million ballots have been cast for November’s election. That number includes both in-person and absentee ballots and is more than double the number of votes cast at the same point in the election four years ago.
Two-thirds of those who have already voted in Georgia this year cast their ballots in person.
Compared to 2016, there’s been a 48% increase in early in-person voter turnout and a 645% increase in absentees statewide.
Those record-breaking totals are fueled by a highly motivated electorate eager to weigh-in on the presidential election and two key U.S. Senate races, as well as the ongoing pandemic. Election officials and advocacy groups are pushing people to vote early in anticipation of long lines at the polls on election day and concerns about coronavirus exposure.
Local turnout
Northeast Georgians are heeding the advice to vote early. In White County, 2,596 voters cast ballots in the first four days of early voting. White County Election Superintendent Garrison Baker said at the time that 4,000 absentee ballots had already been returned.
Habersham South Precinct now open
In Habersham County, 44% of the county’s 28,262 active registered voters have cast ballots. The county elections office reports that 12,538 people voted during the first two weeks of early and Saturday voting. The majority of those ballots – 9,040 of them – were cast in-person. The rest were absentees.
Habersham election officials have mailed out 5,575 absentee ballots – 3,498 have been returned.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, October 30. The deadline to return it is 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 3. Ballots received after that deadline will not be counted. For ballot tracking information, click here.
There’s still one week of early in-person voting left before election day. Those with absentee ballots who prefer to vote in person may do so by turning in their absentee ballot at the poll so it can be canceled.
Voters may contact their local election supervisors to find out where early voting precincts are located. For contact information, click here.
More than 5 million Georgians are expected to cast their ballots in person or by mail for this election.
