DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Douglas County became the first in Georgia on Tuesday to offer voters a chance to cast their ballot in the Senate runoff between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, and many were already at the polls before the sun was even fully up.
It was a matter of exercising their right they hold deeply dear, some told 11Alive.
One voter said she was born and raised in Selma, Alabama, an epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement and where securing the right to vote for Black people was a hard-won battle.
"I believe in standing up for what's right and for my country and my community," said Carolyn Jones, who said she was a retired U.S. Army servicemember. "I was raised in Selma, Alabama, born there, so voting is a big thing to us in my family. We take it very seriously."
Jones added: "When I was growing up my mother wasn't able to vote. I think the first time she voted was when we moved to Atlanta in '68 - so voting is just something we don't think about, it's as easy as getting up in the morning and doing anything else that's responsible, like going to work."
Ruthie Clifton-Pounds, also at the Douglas County Courthouse to cast her vote early Tuesday, echoed those sentiments.
She said she too is originally from Alabama, and that she was eager to vote in this race as soon as possible "because of the importance and significance of voting."
"Once upon a time we as African Americans, we didn't have the right, but there are so many of our ancestors that gave their life for it, so that's how important it is to me," she said. "For me to pass the legacy, that they passed on when they did get the chance to vote, to my children, my grandchildren, and all the people. It is important for everybody. Vote because somebody before you gave a very valuable life so that we could have this freedom to vote."
The early voting period will run through Friday, Dec. 2, before Georgia holds a second Election Day on Dec. 6.
One other county in addition to Douglas, DeKalb, has announced it would conduct early voting this week, with plans there to offer it, Wednesday, Nov. 22. A number of other counties have announced plans to start on Saturday, Nov. 26, after a court ruling allowed early voting to be held on that day, and Sunday, Nov. 27.
Douglas County had previously announced its schedule for early voting would run for Tuesday and Wednesday this week, then from Sunday, Nov. 27 through Friday, Dec. 2.
The county's hours for early voting will be 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. every day the polls are open. Douglas is conducting early voting at the following locations:
- Courthouse: 8700 Hospital Dr., Douglasville
- Old Courthouse: 6754 W. Church St., Douglasville
- Lithia Springs Senior Center: 7301 Groover Lake Rd., Lithia Springs
- Woodie Fite Senior Center: 8750 Dorris Rd., Douglasville
- Boundary Water Aquatic: 5000 GA Hwy. 92N/166E, Douglasville
- Deer Lick Park: 2105 Mack Rd., Douglasville
- Dog River Library: 6100 GA Hwy. 5, Douglasville