Georgia reports record turnout as early voting begins in US battleground state
More than 250,000 voters cast their ballots on the first day, nearly double the 2020 turnout
Voters in Georgia turned out in record numbers as the battleground state opened early voting for the November 5 presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, state officials said on Tuesday.
At least 252,000 voters had cast ballots at early-voting sites as of 4pm, nearly double the 136,000 who participated in the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, said Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s No 2 election official.
“Spectacular turnout,” he wrote on social media.
Trump, at a campaign event in Atlanta, expressed enthusiasm for the early vote in Georgia.
“The votes are coming in, and they’re coming in at a nice level for us,” he said.
Early voting, either in person or by mail, has become increasingly popular with US voters. Nearly 1 in 7 voters cast their ballots ahead of Election Day in 2020, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.