The long-awaited midterm elections are here, and early voting has kicked off across Georgia.
Residents can head to their designated early voting location from now until Oct. 30, or wait until election day on Nov. 3 to cast their vote for federal, statewide and local races.
The midterms have been highly anticipated as Georgia's governor is finishing his final term, Democrats are hoping to keep control of the two U.S. Senate seats and races down ballot will act as a referendum on the party in charge and a peak at a possible swing in 2028.
And the voters are turning out.
Early voting during the primary race in April set a record with more than 35,000 votes cast on the first day. Now, early voting in the general is not only blowing that out of the water,
but breaking records from 2022.
How many people voted on the first day of early voting in Georgia?
According to preliminary data from the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, a total of 190,394 ballots were cast in person on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
This is more than 50,000 more than were seen on the first day of early voting in the 2022 midterms, election officials said, officially breaking the midterm election record. It's a 40% increase from 2022, and more than double the turnout on the first day of early voting in the 2018 midterms.
Election officials say the numbers "shatter" anything they've seen before.
“This record-breaking turnout proves that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections,” Secretary of State Brad 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.”
In addition to those who voted in person, another 10,000 ballots were accepted from mail-in voting.
The largest vote shares came from the metro Atlanta counties.
Election integrity key part of candidate debates
Election integrity in Georgia has been a key issue for candidates in and out of the state since President Trump called attention to Georgia ballots during the 2020 election.
President Trump was recorded on a phone call asking election officials to "find" more than 11,000 votes to overturn the presidential election after Joe Biden won the state.
Since being back in office, the Trump Administration has launched multiple investigations into the voting system in Georgia which included FBI raids of an election hub in Fulton County and the state's election board asking the Department of Justice to investigate.
Candidates for U.S. Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and more were asked about the safety and security of Georgia's elections during the Atlanta Press Club debate series at the beginning of the week, and all assured voters that in-person ballots would be counted in the midterms. Some candidates, however, shed doubt on whether mail-in ballots should be used, and whether they are a secure form of voting.
When can I vote?
Early voting in Georgia runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30. Check the GA My Voter Page for exact polling locations and times.
Election day will be held on Nov. 3, and all polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Residents must have already been registered to vote by Oct. 5 in order to participate in this election.
Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgians 'shatter' voting record on first day of midterm early voting
