Early Voting Record Shattered in Georgia as Over 300,000 Cast Ballots on Day One

Georgia voters showed up in record numbers on the first day of early voting, with more than 300,000 ballots cast on Tuesday, setting a new benchmark for the state. According to officials, this turnout shattered previous records, reflecting high voter engagement ahead of the upcoming election.

Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office, shared the news on the social platform X, announcing that the state had exceeded its earlier record set in 2020. “With the record-breaking 1st day of early voting and accepted absentees, we have had over 328,000 total votes cast so far,” Sterling posted. The previous high was 136,000 early voters in 2020.

“Over 300,000 votes cast today,” Sterling added in a follow-up post. “That’s 123% higher than the old record for the 1st day. Great job counties & voters.”

Georgia, a key battleground state, was won by President Biden in 2020 by a narrow margin over former President Trump. This year, the race remains tight between Vice President Harris and Trump, with polling showing Trump leading Harris 48.3% to 47%, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling aggregate.

Secretary of State Raffensperger had anticipated a record turnout, citing the state’s efforts to ensure early voting would proceed smoothly despite challenges. “We worked overtime to make sure early voting could begin as planned, and absentee ballots would be delivered on schedule, even after the damage caused by Hurricane Helene,” Raffensperger said.

The hurricane had caused devastation in parts of North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, leading to concerns about potential disruptions to the voting process. However, Raffensperger noted that early voting managed to start on time across all 159 counties. “When you think back to where we were two and a half weeks ago, this is a cause for celebration. So many people said, ‘What’s going to happen? There’s no way you’ll have elections starting in Georgia on time,’” he said during a press conference.

In a related development, a judge in Georgia ruled late Tuesday that a requirement for a hand-count of ballots on election night would not be enforced ahead of November’s election, allowing the current voting processes to proceed without additional changes.

The surge in early voting signals a highly engaged electorate in Georgia, underscoring the importance of the state in the upcoming election cycle. As Georgia early voting continues, officials are closely monitoring turnout trends and preparing for the weeks ahead.