Record numbers head to polls in US state of Georgia as early voting begins

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Voters have turned out in record numbers in the US state of Georgia for a midterm election set to be held on Nov. 8, a state election official said Tuesday

Monday marked the first day of early voting.

According to a statement by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, as of Tuesday, just over 131,000 Georgian voters have cast their ballots.

"This is up from 70,849 on the first day of Early Voting in the 2018 midterm election, marking an 85% increase, and nears the day one Early Voting turnout in the 2020 Presidential election," said the statement.

As of December 2021, Georgia had more than 7 million active voters.

According to the statement, reports of long lines were minimal statewide, although there were some reports of voters waiting in line for more than 30 minutes from a few popular voting locations in metro areas.

"Early voting turnout is expected to increase during the final week of early voting, and all Georgia counties will have an Early Voting Saturday this upcoming Saturday, October 22nd," it added.

Democratic and Republican candidates are competing for a number of posts, including seats in the US Senate, House of Representatives and Governor's office.

During the 2020 presidential race, Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican President Donald Trump with a margin of 12,000 votes in the state.