Record Early In-Person Voting in Georgia Amid Final Campaign Pushes

Georgia’s in-person early voting reached a new high as 2,294,275 voters had cast ballots by Thursday afternoon, surpassing the 2,289,951 early-in-person votes recorded in the 2022 midterms. The surge occurred while former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and President Donald Trump made high-profile campaign stops in the state. Early voting continues through Friday, with Election Day set for November 3.

Newsweek

Early voting in Georgia has grown steadily over the past decade, but the 2026 figures already exceed the total early-voting turnout of the entire 2022 cycle. The record comes as both parties view the November 3 contests—U.S. Senate, governor, and numerous House seats—as pivotal for national control. Democrats are targeting the governorship and Senator Jon Ossoff’s seat, while Republicans are defending those races with candidates Rick Jackson and Mike Collins.

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• In-person early votes: 2,294,275 (record)

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• Absentee-by-mail ballots accepted by Thursday 1:35 p.m. ET: 108,251

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• Combined early total by 4:35 p.m. ET: 2,359,330

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• County leaders: Fulton County leads with 285,482 ballots; Cobb and DeKalb follow.

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• Polls (Oct 15-17) show Bottoms at 46.6 % vs. Jackson 48.2 %; Ossoff at 51.8 % vs. Collins 44.9 %.

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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the turnout reflects public confidence in the electoral system and praised county officials for ensuring a “free, fair, and fast” process. Election analysts at CBS noted that while high-profile visits can energize voters, their impact on actual vote totals is mixed. Fin Gómez, CBS political director, observed that “it’s kind of a mixed bag” and that “in some cases they do, but sometimes it’s really difficult to overcome the current political climate.”

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• “Georgians continue to head to the polls in record numbers because they trust the system,” — Georgia The Secretary, of State

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• “This is more welcome news for the Democrats than Republicans in that the statistical models that have been run show a big edge in this vote is for Democratic candidates.” — Robert Y. Shapiro

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• “He is spending time supergluing gold medallions to the mantel in the Oval Office,” — Barack Obama, including former president

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• “You know, I saw Barack Hussein Obama was in Michigan and the place was empty,” — Donald Trump, president

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• “We have a moment now to turn pain into purpose," Harris said in part.” — Kamala Harris, former vice president

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• “It’s the circuit breaker in the system, and we need to flip it,” — Barack Obama, including former president

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Early voting concludes on Friday, after which campaigns will focus on get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of Election Day on November 3. Both parties have pledged additional resources: the Democratic Governors Association announced a total investment of $16 million in the governor’s race, while Republican operatives plan late-day outreach in South Georgia.

Newsweek