Georgia voters cast more than 188,600 in-person ballots on the first day of early voting, setting a midterm record. Total participation reached nearly 200,000 with absentee ballots.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Georgia voters set a new record for the first day of early voting in a midterm election on Tuesday, Oct. 13. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, 188,667 in-person ballots were cast. This figure represents a roughly 40% increase over the 134,962 votes cast on the first day of early voting in the 2022 midterms.
The 2026 first-day total exceeded the 2022 opening day by nearly 54,000 votes. In comparison, the opening-day total in 2018 was 70,849. In addition to the in-person votes, 10,267 absentee ballots were accepted on Tuesday. This brought total participation to nearly 200,000 voters, which accounts for about 2.6% of Georgia’s approximately 7.5 million active registered voters.
Michon Lindstrom, senior communications director for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, noted the significance of the numbers compared to previous cycles. "Mind you, in 2022, we also saw record-breaking numbers. We saw over 135,000 people come out in 2022 for early voting. We’re already at almost 180,000," Lindstrom said.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger attributed the high turnout to voter confidence. "This record-breaking turnout proves that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections," Raffensperger said in a statement. "It’s a testament to our strong election system overseen by 159 of the best county election officials in the country."
Regional data showed varied turnout rates. In Northeast Georgia, just over 19,000 voters cast ballots in person, and another 1,500 mail-in ballots were accepted. This represented about 2.5% of the region’s active registered voters. Towns County led the region with 4.3% turnout, followed by Union at 3.6%, White at 3.4%, and Rabun at 3.2%.
The record turnout occurred amidst a competitive midterm landscape featuring races for U.S. Senate, governor, all 14 U.S. House seats, and state legislature seats. Candidates from both parties encouraged voters to participate early. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, urged residents to vote early to avoid potential issues on Election Day. "You don’t want to risk a bad alternator or a thunderstorm," Ossoff told reporters, according to the Georgia Recorder. "Go ahead and take care of things now."
Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, appearing with Gov. Brian Kemp, urged supporters to help their party win the early voting battle. The early voting period runs through Oct. 30, with Election Day scheduled for Nov. 3. High-profile visits are planned, including Vice President JD Vance visiting Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday and President Trump visiting Dalton on Friday.
The record-breaking first-day turnout signals high voter engagement in Georgia’s 2026 midterm elections, which include key races for governor and U.S. Senate. The significant increase over 2022 and 2018 figures suggests that early voting remains a critical component of the state's election infrastructure, potentially influencing campaign strategies and resource allocation for the remaining voting period.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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