Georgia kicks off early voting with record-breaking 2,50,000 ballot casts

Early voting started in Georgia on Tuesday, during which a record-breaking 2,52,000 early votes were cast, surpassing the previous day's turnout of 1,36,000 in 2020, as reported by CNN.

“Spectacular turnout. We are running out of adjectives for this.” The previous first-day record was 136,000 in 2020, Sterling said.

As of 4pm we have crossed the quarter million mark with 251,899 votes cast. Spectacular turnout. We are running out of adjectives for this. Proud of our elections team w/ @GaSecofState, the counties great work, and most importantly, the voters doing their job and showing up. pic.twitter.com/FD8jInSSNg

— Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) October 15, 2024

This vote increase highlights Georgia's role as a key battleground state, as former President Donald Trump seeks to reclaim it after losing narrowly to President Joe Biden in 2020.

Former US President Jimmy Carter, who turned 100 on October 1, has also participated in Georgia’s early voting, making him the oldest former president in American history to do so.

Just two months earlier, his grandson, Jason Carter, revealed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his grandfather had expressed his wish to live long enough to cast his vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

As Georgia recovers from Hurricane Helene which impacted the region last month, Georgia officials confirmed that absentee ballots were mailed on time, with over 250,000 requests submitted and this could rise to 300,000 representing 5-6% of voters, said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

New laws tightening absentee ballot rules and limiting drop boxes, however, may reduce the appeal of voting by mail.

In 2020, drop boxes were available 24/7, but now they are fewer and only accessible during business hours at election offices or early vote locations.

Georgia’s law now mandates two Saturdays of early voting, with optional Sunday voting, which could contribute to sustained high turnout.

Raffensperger reassured voters about the election’s security, highlighting race audits and random equipment checks on Election Day to ensure accuracy and guard against interference.