US Midterm Elections: Voter turnout doubles in Georgia on 1st day

The number of voters who cast ballots in the US state of Georgia on the first day of early voting for the 2022 midterms has nearly doubled from the elections four years ago.

Early voting is underway in over 30 states for the November 8 midterm elections, in which people vote to choose senators, representatives, and state officials.

The University of Florida, which tracks nationwide voting statistics, says more than 4.3 million people had cast their votes as of October 19.

Georgia is the site of a number of closely contested races. More than 130,000 people cast their votes on October 17, the first day of early voting in the state. That’s almost double the number of people who cast their ballots on the first day of the 2018 midterms.

Voter turnout for midterm elections is usually significantly lower than in presidential elections. But the first-day figure in Georgia is roughly the same as the number of people who cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in the 2020 presidential election.

A growing number of people in the United States are casting early votes in elections. It remains to be seen whether the rise in the number of early voters in Georgia is a sign that overall turnout will be higher in this year’s midterm elections.