**Record-Breaking Turnout on First Day of Early Voting in Georgia**

Georgia has witnessed a historic turnout as early voting kicked off on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. According to officials from the Secretary of State's office, a remarkable 187,973 Georgians cast their votes by 2 p.m. This figure shatters the previous first-day early voting record of 136,000 set in 2020.

Gabriel Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer for the Secretary of State, excitedly shared the news on social media, dubbing the turnout as "MASSIVE numbers!"

Georgia is positioned as a key battleground state among seven crucial swing states this election season, and voters have a three-week window for early voting. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urged residents to plan their voting strategy meticulously, whether they choose absentee voting, early voting, or casting their ballot on Election Day.

"If you want to vote absentee, make that decision today and get your request in," Raffensperger emphasized during a briefing on the opening of early voting. He suggested voters mark their calendars to decide the best time to vote early or, if they prefer, to pinpoint a specific time on Election Day for visiting the polls.

Raffensperger also highlighted his office's commitment to minimizing wait times at both early voting sites and on Election Day across Georgia's 2,400 polling places. Remarkably, voters took only a few minutes to vote on Tuesday morning, aligning with past targets. "We want to make sure that they're less than an hour," Raffensperger said. He further noted that in 2022, the average waiting time was less than three minutes, sometimes dropping to two minutes.

"The lines have been moving smoothly this morning, and everyone has been able to cast their votes in under record time," he added.

This exemplary efficiency and the overwhelming first-day turnout reflect the high engagement and enthusiasm among Georgia voters as they exercise their democratic rights.