Georgia Sets Midterm Record With 2.8 Million Early Votes
Georgia recorded a midterm early voting record of 2.8 million ballots as candidates for governor and senate enter the final stretch before November 3.
Georgia set a new state record for early voting during the 2026 midterm election cycle, with 2,810,170 ballots cast by the October 31 deadline. This total represents approximately 37.3% of registered voters and surpasses the previous midterm record of 2.5 million set in 2022. The final tally included 2,691,841 in-person ballots and 118,329 absentee ballots.
The Secretary of State of Georgia reported that turnout grew steadily through the end of October, with unofficial data on October 30 showing nearly 2.6 million votes. In Lowndes County, 21,687 ballots were cast by that date, the highest volume among seven tracked counties. While these figures exceed 2022 levels, they remain below the early in-person totals seen during the 2024 presidential election.
As the state prepares for Election Day on November 3, gubernatorial candidates Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms have launched aggressive tours of critical battlegrounds. Campaign finance reports reveal a stark spending gap in the governor's race, with Republican Rick Jackson spending roughly $99 million compared to $6 million by Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms. A similar disparity exists in the U.S. Senate race, where incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff spent approximately $105 million, while Republican Mike Collins spent about $10 million. Record early turnout was also reported in neighboring South Carolina, where over 830,000 ballots were cast.
