Georgia early voting concludes with record in-person turnout

Voters in Georgia had a final opportunity on Friday to cast their ballots before the election cycle moved to Tuesday's general election day. The state closed its early voting period after reaching a new high for midterm elections.

Figures reported from DeKalb County indicate that total early voting turnout surpassed 2.5 million ballots. This total exceeds the previous midterm record of 2.2 million set in 2022. The vast majority of these votes were cast in person.

Specifically, approximately 2.4 million of the early ballots were submitted through in-person voting stations. This in-person figure alone far outpaced the entire early voting total from the 2022 cycle. Mail-in absentee voting saw a different trend, with numbers dropping by about half compared to previous cycles according to the Secretary of State's office.

Despite the decline in mail-in ballots and one fewer day of early voting than in 2022, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted that overall turnout was running 5% to 7% higher than in the previous midterm. He made these remarks earlier in the week while reviewing the election's progress.

Officials advised voters to verify their specific early voting locations and operating hours before heading to the polls. Early voting sites may differ from the polling places assigned for Election Day. Voters were encouraged to check their registration status and locate their nearest early voting site to avoid confusion on the final day.