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Georgia Primary Sets Record Early Voting, Runoff Set June 16

5/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Early voting in Georgia’s May 2026 primary set a record with over 1.019 million ballots cast before Election Day.
Democratic early voters submitted about 580,000 ballots versus roughly 430,000 for Republicans, a 15-percentage-point lead.
Because no candidate reached the 50 % threshold, officials plan runoff elections on June 16 for the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate seat.

History

Historical Context

Georgia’s first statewide early-voting trial in the March 1992 primary let about 300,000 voters cast ballots weeks early, giving Democrat Zell Miller a 55% lead. As the nation moved from 40% of voters having early-voting options in 2000 to nearly 97% in 2024, Georgia’s 2026 primary shattered the record with over 1.0 million early ballots, cementing early voting as a central campaign tool.

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Story summary

Early voting in Georgia’s May 2026 primary set a record with over 1.019 million ballots cast before Election Day.
Democratic early voters submitted about 580,000 ballots versus roughly 430,000 for Republicans, a 15-percentage-point lead.
Because no candidate reached the 50 % threshold, officials plan runoff elections on June 16 for the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate seat.

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