ATLANTA — Georgians are heading to the polls for the first day of early voting on Tuesday, with over 71,000 people casting their ballots by 10:30 a.m., according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger at a press conference.
The turnout suggests a strong start to the voting period, which could break records, although officials refrained from making specific predictions.
Early voting is open across all 159 counties, and absentee ballots were sent out as scheduled, marking a smooth start to the election process. Raffensperger noted that despite some skepticism, the state met its deadline, with all counties ready for early voting.
"We like to deal with facts," he said, adding that his office has worked diligently over the past two years to ensure Georgia's elections are timely and secure.
The Secretary of State emphasized Georgia’s voter ID requirements, which apply to absentee, early, and in-person voting. Raffensperger stated that more than 99% of voters in Georgia use photo ID to verify their identities. Approximately 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested, a figure that could rise to 300,000 in the coming weeks.
To further assist absentee voters, Georgia has introduced "Ballot Scout," an app allowing voters to track their absentee ballots through the mailing and acceptance process.
Raffensperger also highlighted improvements made to the election system over the past six years, which have garnered high marks for election integrity from bipartisan organizations. These updates include voter roll audits to ensure only American citizens are registered and the implementation of paper ballots with additional security features like watermarks.
As the voting period continues, Raffensperger encouraged voters to make a plan, whether they intend to vote absentee, early, or on Election Day. He stressed that the state's goal is to provide a voting process that is "free, fair, and fast," drawing inspiration from quick service models like Chick-fil-A to minimize wait times.
So far, Raffensperger said average check-in times across the state are less than three minutes.
You can re-watch the press conference in the video player above and on 11Alive's YouTube channel below.
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