Georgia Ends Early Voting With 800,000 Ballots Cast as Gubernatorial Primaries Stay Unsettled
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · May 15
Georgia Ends Early Voting With 800,000 Ballots Cast as Gubernatorial Primaries Stay Unsettled
8 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · May 15
More than 800,000 Georgians had voted early by Thursday night before the May 15 deadline, a record pace ahead of the May 19 midterm primaries.
The surge reached 11% of Georgia’s 7,356,974 active voters after a record 35,000-plus ballots were cast on the first day of early voting, April 27.
Unofficial state data showed Democrats leading the early vote with 451,901 ballots to Republicans’ 352,098, while women accounted for 57% of ballots and voters ages 55 to 79 formed the largest bloc.
Bleckley County topped turnout with more than 20% voting early, and several marquee races remain fluid, including gubernatorial primaries that could force June 16 runoffs.
That timing could matter because Gov. Brian Kemp has called a summer special session on voting-machine changes and possible redistricting after the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision.
With a ballot-counting crisis looming, what does record turnout reveal about public confidence in Georgia's elections?
Could Georgia's record primary turnout lead to low-turnout runoffs, giving a small group of voters the final say?