Peach State residents flocked to the polls on Oct. 13 for the first day of early voting in the 2026 midterm elections, shattering their previous record by more than 53,000 ballots.
Georgia is home to two closely watched races this midterm cycle, a Senate and governor race, as more than 188,600 residents cast their ballots on the opening day of early voting.
At stake are sole Democratic representation in the upper chamber and a 23-year streak of Republican governorship.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff ran unopposed in his primary and is vying to retain his position against Republican Rep. Mike Collins.
Georgia has been represented by two Democrats since 2021, Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Georgia’s current Republican governor, Brian Kemp, is term-limited.
Striving to replace him and continue GOP leadership of the state, which has been maintained since 2003, is billionaire Rick Jackson, who is facing Democrat and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, the first day’s data reflected a 40-percent increase in ballots cast in 2026 from 2022’s total of 134,962.
In 2018, 70,849 voters cast their ballots on the first day of early voting.
“This record-breaking turnout proves that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a Wednesday news release.
“It’s a testament to our strong election system overseen by 159 of the best county election officials in the country.”
The news release added that more than 10,000 absentee ballots have been accepted.
The Georgia Secretary of State office’s unofficial voter turnout website showed a drop in the second day of early in-person voting, down to about 166,000 ballots cast.
According to the website, white Georgia residents are making up the majority of early in-person and absentee voting with about 186,000 ballots cast.
Following that demographic are black voters with nearly 126,000.
The Trump administration is currently on a midterm election blitz ahead of the general election on Nov. 3.
President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Oct. 16, and Vice President JD Vance touched down in Atlanta on Air Force Two on Wednesday morning to greet several dozen supporters waiting on the tarmac.
He approached the crowd with a smile amid cheers of “48, 48, 48!”
Vance did not take time to answer questions from the media, but he greeted supporters for about 10 minutes before leaving in his motorcade for a private fundraising event later in the evening.
Joining Vance on his trip to Atlanta were Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.
Both greeted attendees with hugs, high fives, and selfies before leaving with the motorcade.
Several Georgia GOP lawmakers were awaiting the vice president, including Collins, Rep. Brian Jack, and Mayor Leslie McPherson of the city of Villa Rica.
McPherson told The Epoch Times she has been door-knocking in her city to drum up support for a county commission election but expects next week she will be getting involved in Georgia’s Senate and governor races.
“We’re targeting those [voters]; they at least vote sometime, but they don’t always come,” she said.
“If they truly look at what one party is promoting, and the fact that they have too many candidates that are socialist or claiming that they’re communist and running for office, I mean that shouldn’t be welcome in any party in America.”
Although prices are elevated at the pump and housing remains out of reach for many young Americans, McPherson said voters should be patient and trust in the long-term plans of the Trump administration, and thus the Republican candidates on the ballot this midterm too.
Affordability isn’t something that can be turned around on a dime, she said.
Democratic voters who spoke to The Epoch Times disagreed, saying they believe their respective candidates will address affordability the best and bring the quickest results.
One of those Peach State residents was Dorothy Lamar, who cast her ballot in Dooly County.
When questioned about the main topic driving her vote this midterm cycle, she said: “The cost of living—because the groceries … prices have went sky high.”
Voter Christina Okuma shared similar concerns.
She cast her ballot for Democratic candidates at a polling location in Valdosta and explained to The Epoch Times her desire for Ossoff to remain in office and for Bottoms to flip the governor seat.
“Cost of living is ridiculous,” Okuma said. “We have seen the cost of living go up but not wages.”
Aside from the affordability topic, Democratic and Republican voters sharply disagreed on the Trump administration’s handling of immigration and the border.
Okuma described Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as a militia.
Meanwhile, McPherson said she has witnessed voters being attracted to Trump’s handling of these issues.
“This border stuff matters, and who [Biden] let into the country, and the fact that we don’t have jobs for our own people,” McPherson said.
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