Georgia early voting ends Friday with record turnout

Early voting is wrapping up in Georgia as the country prepares for a marathon of midterm primaries next week.

The final day to early vote is Friday, May 15. Poll times may vary by location, and Georgia voters can check their registration status, polling location, and more through the My Voter Page from the Secretary of State's Office.

Election day is Tuesday, May 19, with polls open everywhere from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There are a few closely-watched races in Georgia, including the primaries for both Democrats and Republicans in the gubernatorial race, the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate race, primaries in both parties for Secretary of State, and more. Many other local races are on the ballot across the state.

This could also be the last election using the current district maps and voting systems. Outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp called state lawmakers back to Atlanta for a special session this summer to address changes to voting machines and possible redistricting for the 2028 election cycle following the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision at the end of April.

Early voting set record in first days

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that more than 35,000 Georgians voted early on the first day, April 27, setting a record in the state.

"That's proof that Georgians trust our elections," he said in a post on X.

Raffensperger, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, was also the Secretary of State in Georgia during the 2020 general election in which President Trump claimed there was widespread voter fraud, particularly in Fulton County. In a phone call, the president asked Georgia officials to "find" votes that would give him the win over Joe Biden.

In the two weeks since early voting began, more than 800,000 Georgians have voted, as of Thursday night. That makes up 11% of the possible active voters, which is now 7,356,974 in Georgia.

The highest early voting turnout has been in Bleckley County in central Georgia, where more than 20% of the county has voted early. There has also been high voter turnout in McIntosh, Butts, and Wilkes Counties.

Democrats lead early voting turnout

Out of the 816,227 voters who have already cast a ballot in Georgia, more Democrats have voted than Republicans.

According to the Election Data Hub from the Secretary of State's Office, unofficial turnout statistics show 451,901 Democrats, 352,098 Republicans, and 12,228 nonpartisan voters have taken advantage of early voting in Georgia.

The majority of early voters have been White, with 430,677 votes cast; followed by Black voters with 274,756 votes; and other racial minorities making up the other 110,794.

Women account for 57% of the early votes, and the majority of voters fall between the ages of 55 and 79, according to election hub data.

The data is considered "unofficial" at this stage, and could be updated at a later time.

Many voters undecided going into ballot box

In polling published during the first week of early voting, many voters were undecided on who to choose for the highest seat in the state.

Eight Republican candidates, including Brad Raffensperger, Burt Jones, Chris Carr, Clark Dean, Gregg Kirkpatrick, Ken Yasger, Rick Jackson, and Tom Williams, are on the ballot.

Seven Democratic candidates are also in the race, including Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mike Thurmond, and Olu Brown.

Rick Jackson and Burt Jones have been battling for the top of the Republican ticket for months, each spending time at the top of the polls and splitting the Republican base. Brad Raffensperger has consistently come in third. Jones is the Trump-endorsed candidate, but Jackson has closely aligned himself with the MAGA movement and base in Georgia. The two have spent much of the campaign trail attacking one another, leading Raffensperger to release an ad depicting his opponents throwing mud in each other's face while Raffensperger is "focused on doing the job."

On the Democratic side, former mayor of Atlanta Keisha Bottoms has a strong lead in the polls, ranging from 39% support to 52%, depending on the poll. She has been followed by Michael Thurmond and Geoff Duncan in polls for months, with Jason Esteves picking up steam in fourth place.

Undecided voters, however, have reached as high as 35% in some polls, rivaling Bottoms' level of support, and making it unclear which way they might go once they step into the ballot box.

Georgia gubernatorial primaries likely to head to runoffs

Both the Democratic and Republican primaries could easily go to a runoff, meaning no single candidate reached a 50% majority during the first election.

If this happens, the top two candidates for each party will be on the ballot again on June 16, the day before the General Assembly begins its special session under the Gold Dome in Atlanta. This means lawmakers will (likely) know the results of the primaries when they are considering redistricting across the state.

Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].