Early voting reaches such heights that some Georgia polls may be Election Day ‘ghost town’

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — Flags telling group to “Vote Here” fluttered successful not only English, but Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese astatine nan Mountain Park Activity Building arsenic a dependable watercourse passed done its doors to formed their ballots successful nan 2024 election.

One by one, nan voters who turned retired Thursday were adding to what’s go a colossal heap of early ballots successful nan cardinal plaything authorities of Georgia. Early voting, scheduled to extremity Friday, has been truthful robust that astir 4 cardinal ballots could beryllium formed earlier Election Day dawns connected Tuesday.

“I usually effort to ballot early because I’m a mailman and it’s difficult to maine to get complete present connected an predetermination day,” said Mike King of Lilburn, who voted for Trump Thursday earlier scattering leaves arsenic he departed successful his reddish pickup truck.

Voters for illustration King are portion of nan logic early ballot records person been shattered not only successful Georgia and different statesmanlike battlegrounds specified arsenic North Carolina but moreover successful states without awesome contests connected nan ballot for illustration New Jersey and Louisiana. During nan pandemic successful 2020, then-President Donald Trump railed against early voting and message voting, claiming they were portion of a crippled to bargain nan predetermination from him. In 2022, aft falsely blaming his 2020 nonaccomplishment connected early voting, he kept astatine it.

In some elections, Republicans mostly stayed distant from voting early, preferring to do it connected Election Day. This twelvemonth Trump has emphasized early voting and his supporters are responding. So acold Republicans person flooded nan polls successful places wherever in-person early voting is available. Though they’ve accrued their message voting too, it’s been astatine a overmuch little rate.

“The Trump effect is real,” said Jason Snead, executive head of Honest Elections, a blimpish group that focuses connected predetermination policy.

So acold astir 64 cardinal group person formed ballots successful nan 2024 election, which is much than one-third nan full number who voted successful 2020. Not each states registry voters by party, but successful those that do nan early electorate is somewhat much Republican than Democratic, according to AP Elections Data.

Early ballot data, of course, does not show you who will triumph an election. It doesn’t show you who nan voters support, only basal demographic accusation and sometimes statement affiliation. One demographic whitethorn look unusually energized because it dominates nan early vote, only to person nary much voters near to move retired connected Election Day.

Campaigns promote early voting because it lets them “bank” their astir reliable supporters, freeing resources to move retired lower-propensity backers connected Election Day.

“I’ve mostly viewed nan thought of going backmost to Election Day arsenic trying to put toothpaste backmost successful a tube,” Snead said.

Election officials opportunity nan early ballot is already racking up awesome totals. In North Carolina, each but 2 of 25 occidental counties astir harmed by Hurricane Helene successful precocious September are posting higher early in-person turnout percentages compared pinch 2020.

Statewide, complete 3.7 cardinal group had formed early in-person ballots arsenic of early Friday, exceeding nan early in-person full for each of 2020, nan North Carolina State Board of Elections said. Early in-person voting ends Saturday day successful nan state.

“Hurricane Helene did not extremity america from voting,” said Karen Brinson Bell, nan authorities board’s executive head and apical voting charismatic successful that plaything state. She added that voters person been appreciative and “we are seeing a batch of civility.”

In Georgia, truthful galore group person voted early that a authorities predetermination charismatic says it could beryllium a “ghost town” astatine nan polls connected Election Day.

There’s nary uncertainty that portion of that is owed to Trump. Large signs astatine his rallies spell retired “VOTE EARLY!” and others person besides been pushing Republicans to formed ballots earlier Tuesday, moreover by mail.

“This predetermination is excessively important to wait!” proclaimed 1 flyer mailed to a elector successful Georgia by nan Elon Musk-funded America PAC. “President Trump is counting connected patriots for illustration you to use for an absentee ballot and slope your ballot today.”

Tona Barnes is 1 personification who has heeded that message. Instead of voting connected Election Day, she voted early for nan first clip connected Thursday successful nan bluish Atlanta suburb of Marietta.

“He keeps putting it retired location to ballot early,” she said of Trump.

Others successful Georgia, some Democrats and Republicans, opportunity they ballot early for convenience.

Ashenafi Arega, who voted Thursday for Vice President Kamala Harris astatine nan Mountain Park Activity Building successful suburban Gwinnett County, said he formed a ballot early “to prevention time.”

“I deliberation connected Election Day nan statement will beryllium long,” said Arega, who owns an importing business. “It will beryllium discouraging.”

Gabe Sterling, main operating serviceman for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said Wednesday that nan authorities already had deed two-thirds of nan full turnout for nan 2020 election, erstwhile Georgia group a grounds number of astir 5 cardinal votes cast.

“There’s a anticipation it could beryllium a shade municipality connected Election Day,” Sterling said. “We had little than a cardinal show up during COVID successful 2020 pinch each nan uses of pre-Election Day voting.”

Nearly arsenic galore group had voted early by this clip successful 2020 successful Georgia, but nan turnout shape was different. For a little clip during nan pandemic, Georgia allowed voters to petition message ballots online without sending successful a shape pinch a hand-inked signature, and allowed counties to group up galore drive-through driblet boxes. But fueled by Trump’s insistence that he had been cheated, Republican lawmakers allowed only sharply constricted driblet boxes going forward, imposed caller deadlines connected message ballot requests and went backmost to requiring a hand-signed absentee petition form.

That rule and others successful Georgia led to cries that Republicans were trying to suppress votes. Republicans said 2024’s robust early turnout proves that isn’t so.

“I deliberation that gives nan dishonesty to this thought that having immoderate beautiful basal information measures successful spot someway discourages group from voting,” said Josh McKoon, president of nan Georgia Republican Party.

But Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive head of nan Democratic Party of Georgia, discounts those statements, saying caller fights astir State Election Board rules, which ended pinch a judge throwing retired nan rules, beryllium Republicans are preparing to decry nan legitimacy of immoderate ballot they don’t triumph successful Georgia.

“I deliberation location is nary uncertainty that these folks were trying to muck up nan waters a small spot to person thing to constituent to perchance down nan road,” Olasanoye said.

Republicans are thrilled pinch nan turnout successful heavy GOP counties, which successful immoderate cases is approaching two-thirds of progressive voters. Through Thursday, astir 39% of voters successful nan mostly Black Democratic stronghold of Augusta-Richmond County had formed ballots, while astir 54% of voters successful nan neighboring Republican suburb of Columbia County had voted.

“Just from a winning and losing standpoint, nan much votes I person put successful nan slope by Friday, nan less votes I person to push to nan polls connected Tuesday to win,” McKoon said.

Olasanoye, though, expressed assurance that Harris was broadening her conjugation and would still win.

“Democrats and nan vice president, we’re conscionable doing each right,” he said.

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Associated Press reporters Gary Robertson and Makiya Seminera contributed from Raleigh, North Carolina.