Georgia early voting tops 151,000 with Democrats leading turnout

More than 151,000 Georgians have voted in the first four days of early voting ahead of the May 19 primary, and voters in the Democratic primary are outpacing the Republican primary so far.

What’s happening: As of Thursday, 151,974 ballots have been cast. Georgia has 7,358,887 active registered voters, meaning about 2.1% of them have already voted. Democrats account for 81,653 of those ballots. Republicans account for 67,968.

By the numbers:

• 151,974 total ballots cast as of April 30
• 81,653 Democratic ballots
• 67,968 Republican ballots
• 2,353 non-partisan ballots
• 2.1% of active registered voters have voted

How it started: The first day of early voting, Monday, drew 35,352 in-person voters. That was 29% more than the first day of the 2022 primary and 281% more than in 2018.

Day-to-day trends: Democratic turnout fell 20% between day one and day two. Republican turnout dropped 2.8% over the same stretch.

What’s on the ballot: Voters are picking candidates for Governor, a U.S. Senate seat, and other statewide offices. Governor Brian Kemp cannot run again because Georgia law limits governors to two back-to-back terms.

Where turnout is highest: Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties in metro Atlanta are among the leaders in total votes cast. Cherokee County, north of Atlanta, ranks eighth in the state for turnout.

New this cycle: The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is publishing a real-time party breakdown of votes for the first time, through an upgraded online tool called the Election Data Hub.

The path forward: Early voting runs through Friday, May 15. Election Day is Tuesday, May 19.

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