Georgia early voting nears 2.5M ballots cast

(The Center Square) – Just over one week after early voting began in Georgia, nearly 2.5 million ballots have been received.

With early voting ending on Friday, Nov. 1, today marks the last day that absentee and overseas ballots can be requested from the state.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said early voting this year is “shattering turnout records.”

So far, 35% of all the state’s registered voters have cast their ballots.

“Another huge win for Georgia voters,” Raffensperger posted on social media as the votes continue to come in. “Let’s keep the momentum going!”

That comes as the secretary of state’s office stated it fended off a potential cyberattack on its website and allegations of voter fraud are already growing.

Georgia has also taken a number of steps to clear noncitizens from the voting rolls. Of the 8.2 million voters registered in the state, a recent audit found 20 noncitizens.

“Today, I announced the results of our second citizenship verification audit,” Raffensperger said. “As secretary of state, I’ve taken every effort to assure that only American citizens are voting in our elections. Congress must take action and let states lead on secure elections.”

This has been an ongoing concern in other states as well, many of which are also taking steps to remove noncitizens prior to Election Day.

Republican politicians in Georgia have expressed support for the audits.

“Americans should be the only ones allowed to vote in U.S. elections,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins on social media.

Raffensperger said in a press release that the historic early voting numbers show Georgia’s election system is working smoothly.

“Georgia voters know we’ve made it easy to cast a ballot. It’s really that simple,” he said. “Over the past four years we’ve worked tirelessly to prepare for this election by adding Early Voting days and investing in infrastructure, only to be rewarded with the lies of Jim Crow 2.0 and a missed All-Star Game. We’re battle tested and ready, despite the critics.”

According to the state’s Election Hub, rural counties like Towns, Union and Rabun have the highest percentage of voters casting their ballots early.

In the case of Towns County, which is located on the northeastern border with Tennessee, over 50% of registered voters in the county have already voted.

Former President Donald Trump is currently leading the polling average in the swing state by 1.6%, outperforming the 2020 polls at this same time by nearly 2%. In 2020, Trump lost Georgia by just 11,000 votes.

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square