Over 151,000 ballots have been cast in Georgia's early voting period as of Thursday, representing roughly 2.1% of the state's 7.3 million active registered voters. Democrats have led the charge so far, accounting for 81,653 ballots compared to 67,968 Republican ballots, with an additional 2,353 non-partisan votes recorded.
The opening day of early voting on Monday drew 35,352 in-person voters—a significant jump from previous cycles. That figure represented 29% higher turnout than the first day of the 2022 primary and 281% more than in 2018, signaling robust early engagement in this election cycle.
However, momentum has shown signs of leveling off as the week progressed. Democratic turnout fell 20% between day one and day two, while Republican turnout experienced a more modest decline of 2.8% over the same period. The trajectory of these early days may foreshadow overall participation levels through Election Day.
Voters in Georgia are selecting candidates for Governor, a U.S. Senate seat, and other statewide offices. Governor Brian Kemp is unable to seek another term due to the state's constitutional limit of two consecutive terms for governors. The Democratic advantage in early voting comes as both parties field candidates to replace him.
In terms of geographic distribution, metropolitan Atlanta counties are driving overall turnout. Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties rank among the leaders in total votes cast, while Cherokee County, located north of Atlanta, places eighth statewide in turnout levels.
A notable development this cycle is the Georgia Secretary of State's decision to publish real-time party breakdowns of votes for the first time. The office has deployed an upgraded online tool called the Election Data Hub to provide this granular information to the public and media.
Early voting continues through Friday, May 15, with Election Day scheduled for Tuesday, May 19.
