Update to an earlier report: This article includes new information about a story we previously covered. Read our earlier report.
More than 2.5 million Georgians cast early ballots before advance voting ended Friday, surpassing the roughly 2.2 million in-person ballots recorded in the 2022 midterms. Savannah is among the scheduled stops in Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson’s final campaign swing ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
Georgia Secretary of State’s Office data show the in-person early-voting total has passed the previous midterm high. At the Woodstock Recreation Center in Cherokee County, voters waited more than an hour Friday afternoon, with the line extending around the building.
Voters described different concerns in different parts of the state. In Buckhead, Fulton County, Lee Wilder pointed to Medicaid expansion and its effects on rural hospitals, and said the economy was also a concern. Lynne Halpern said she usually votes Democratic but chose Jackson, whom she viewed as a businessman who could bring order.
In Cherokee County, Hope Barbaro cited the cost of gas and groceries, along with difficulty affording a home or rent. Scott Kearney said he wanted to keep expenses down, attract businesses and ease the tax burden on residents.
Jackson’s planned airport tour includes Canton, Perry, Albany, Savannah and Augusta. Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms has scheduled stops in Columbus, Bainbridge and Albany as part of her “Georgia’s Voice, Georgia’s Vote” tour, alongside U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop.
Political science expert Ben Taylor said candidate travel can signal where campaigns believe they can mobilize more voters. He noted that Georgia does not register voters by party and said relatively higher turnout in metro Atlanta increases pressure on Republicans before Election Day, when Republican voters traditionally cast ballots in greater numbers. Taylor also said direct conversations among friends, relatives and co-workers may be more influential in the final 72 hours than rallies or broadcast ads.
Polling places across Georgia will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. are legally entitled to cast a ballot. With advance voting over, voters must go to their assigned neighborhood precinct rather than a countywide early-voting location. Georgia law requires a valid government-issued photo ID for in-person voting. Voters can check their polling place and review ballot questions through Georgia My Voter Page.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
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