Georgia sees big early voting turnout for 2024 presidential race

Georgiaʼs early voting for the 2024 presidential election kicked off with a bang‚ as more than 600‚000 ballots were cast in just the first few days. This impressive turnout (roughly 10% of expected total votes) shows the states high engagement in this key battleground

The first day of in-person voting on 10/15/24 saw over 310‚000 Georgians casting their ballots‚ with another 260‚000 following suit the next day. Mail-in votes added 33‚000 more to the tally. This surge in early voting marks a shift from the 2020 election‚ when mail-in ballots were more prevalent due to the pandemic

Voters expressed strong opinions about the candidates. Anthony Engleton‚ a retiree voting in Sandy Springs said “Im excited to vote against Donald Trump and for Kamala Harris“ (he cited Trumps history as his reason). On the other hand Karen Hall in Berkeley Lake supported Trump due to immigration concerns

The voting process in Georgia has undergone changes since 2020. Absentee voting now requires a physical signature‚ and drop boxes are limited. These alterations have led to a decrease in mail-in ballot requests compared to the previous election

Notable voters included former president Jimmy Carter‚ who mailed his ballot yesterday‚ and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver‚ who voted in person. Oliver‚ whos on the ballot in all 50 states‚ sees himself as an alternative for dissatisfied voters

I asked him two months ago if he was trying to live to be 100‚ and he said‚ ʼNo‚ Iʼm trying to live to vote for Kamala Harris‚ʼ

The ballot in Georgia includes:
- Kamala Harris (Democrat)
- Donald Trump (Republican)
- Chase Oliver (Libertarian)
- Jill Stein (Green Party)

Two other candidates Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz appear on the ballot‚ but their votes wont be counted due to a state Supreme Court ruling

As the election approaches‚ both major parties are pushing their supporters to vote early‚ allowing them to focus on less reliable voters later in the campaign. With this strong start‚ Georgia continues to prove its significance in the 2024 presidential race