Early voting in Georgia began on October 13, opening the ballot for governor, U.S. Senate, secretary of state and attorney general races. Registered voters can cast ballots through Friday, October 30, with Saturday voting on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 included in the schedule.
Georgia ballot races
Keisha Lance Bottoms is the Democrat running against Republican Rick Jackson in the governor’s race. Republican Mike Collins is challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, giving voters a clear choice in the race that could help determine which party controls Congress.
My Voter Page details
Voters must be registered to participate, and hours and locations vary by county. The state’s My Voter Page lets voters check registration status and voting information before they go, which is the practical step that can save a wasted trip if a county uses different hours or a different location than expected.
Andra Gillespie on turnout
Andra Gillespie of Emory University said, "Control of Congress is what's most at stake, and that's really important," in reference to the Georgia Senate race. She also said, "Turnout in midterm elections tends to be lower than it is in presidential election years. But this may be a year where compared to other midterm election years, we see pretty robust turnout levels because people have some very strong opinions about what is happening in our government," pointing to a midterm environment that could run against the usual pattern.
More than 2 million people voted in the May primary, about 28% of Georgia's active voters, a marker that gives a rough gauge for what the early voting period may draw before it ends on October 30. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats would need to retain their current seats and gain four more to take control of the chamber.
