Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office noted Thursday that Georgian voters are flooding polling places this week, including setting a first-day midterm early voting record ahead of next month's elections.
Raffensperger said Wednesday that more than 188,600 ballots were cast on Tuesday, the first day of early voting, an increase of more than 53,000 voters over the 2022 midterm election when 134,962 Georgians voted early.
“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.”
The high volume continued Thursday with more than 436,000 ballots cast as of 12 p.m. Eastern, according to CBS News.
The Georgian's office said that in addition to in-person ballots, approximately 18,300 mail-in ballots have already been accepted.
The turnout comes as Americans nationwide watch the Georgia Senate race, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is attempting to keep his seat against GOP Rep. Mike Collins.
Early voting continues through Oct. 30, and voters can cast their ballot at any polling place within their county. Towns, Greene, Putnam, Fayette and Union counties have seen the highest percentage of turnout so far.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.