As early voting in Georgia draws to a close, state Republicans are optimistic about their chances in the polls.
The Peach State has seen more than 3.7 million voters go to the polls early, with many counties reporting that the majority of voters had sent in absentee ballots or voted in person ahead of Election Day.
Fulton County, home to the Democratic stronghold of Atlanta, reported that 53.5 percent of its registered voters had already cast their ballots, giving Vice President Kamala Harris some hope that the swing state could stay blue.
However, it’s the growth in Republican areas that is fueling the surge in early voting, as Trump voters who turned their backs on early voting in 2020 amid the former president’s claims about fraud are now embracing the tactic.
“The message from Donald Trump was ‘please vote early’, and we are Trump country here and we listen to what he said,” said Betsy Young, the chair of the Republican Party in Towns County. “I think with the 2020 election, what happened then made us look into why this occurred.”
Speaking on CNN today, Young said: “We used to just sort of sit back and relax. I’ve been involved in the Republican party for a long time, and the two things that we seem to do is procrastinate, and not know how to give a message to the people, and I think that’s changed this go round.
“In previous elections, Trump’s doubts probably did hamper our efforts; people only wanted to come to the polls on Election Day. Our Election Day in 2020 was very strong, and we had more than our early voting.”
The switch in rhetoric has paid off for Republicans; Towns County reported that 69 percent of voters have already cast their ballots, with other deep-red counties Oconee and Rabun reporting similarly high numbers. Trump took 80 percent of the vote in areas like these last election.
Newsweek contacted the office of Georgia Secretary of State for comment on the increased early voting numbers and was directed to a statement from Brad Raffensperger, who said: “Georgia voters know we’ve made it easy to cast a ballot. It’s really that simple.
“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 battled tested and ready, despite the critics.”
Georgia is one of the most important swing states this election, with 16 Electoral College votes to its name. Although President Joe Biden won the state in 2020, recent polling has shown it to be a dead heat between Trump and Harris.
Early voting at Atlanta Metropolitan State College on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Early voting takes place from October 15 – November 1, ahead of Election Day on November 5.
Getty Images
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about Georgia and the 2024 election? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
