Record Turnout in Georgia on Day-One of Early Voting
The Facts
The US state of Georgia Tuesday set a record in early polling with 328K votes — crushing 2020's 136K figure — despite still reeling under the wrath of Hurricane Helene.
The 2020 record was broken by 1pm itself Tuesday, a day after a judge barred election officials from delaying or refusing to certify poll results over fraud or errors.
The Spin
Georgia has emerged as a critical battleground in the 2024 presidential election, with record-breaking early voting numbers on Tuesday highlighting its pivotal role. This is particularly significant given Georgia's potential to decide the electoral outcome between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. With its mix of competitive demographics and history of close results, Georgia's voter turnout and election administration processes could prove decisive in determining the next president.
As Georgia reports unprecedented early voting turnout, Judge Robert McBurney has blocked the state's controversial new hand-counting rules that could have disrupted the election. The ruling comes at a crucial moment for Georgia, a pivotal battleground state in the 2024 presidential race. McBurney's decision, citing the "11th-and-one-half hour" nature of the changes, protects established vote-counting procedures amid record voter participation. The ruling reflects broader tensions between election administration and attempts to alter voting procedures in key swing states.
