Georgians cast 709,000-plus early votes in person in four days after a record first day. Fulton led every county with 87,042; DeKalb is at 12.2% turnout.
Georgians cast more than 709,000 ballots in person in the first four days of early voting, Tuesday through Friday. The figures are unofficial and come from the Georgia Secretary of State’s turnout dashboard.
Fulton County, home to most of Atlanta, cast 87,042 of those ballots. That is more than any other county in Georgia, and about one in eight of the statewide total.
The pace follows a record opening day. The Secretary of State’s office said Wednesday that 188,667 Georgians voted in person on Tuesday, the first day of early voting for the Nov. 3 general election. That beat the midterm first-day record by more than 53,000 votes.
A record first day
The office compared Tuesday’s turnout with the two previous midterm elections:
| Midterm | In-person votes on the first day |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 70,849 |
| 2022 | 134,962 |
| 2026 | 188,667 |
The 2026 figure is about 40% higher than in 2022.
“This record-breaking turnout proves that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. “It’s a testament to our strong election system overseen by 159 of the best county election officials in the country.”
Counties kept uploading voter records after the release. The dashboard now counts 190,406 in-person votes for Tuesday.
Day by day in Atlanta’s two counties
Most of Atlanta votes in Fulton County. The east side of the city votes in DeKalb County. The state reports turnout by county, not by city, so these figures include voters elsewhere in both counties.
In-person early votes accepted each day, from the Secretary of State’s dashboard as of 9:32 a.m. Saturday:
| Day | Fulton County | DeKalb County | Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Oct. 13 | 23,839 | 16,763 | 190,406 |
| Wednesday, Oct. 14 | 21,268 | 14,899 | 174,536 |
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | 20,151 | 13,325 | 164,217 |
| Friday, Oct. 16 | 21,784 | 15,442 | 180,649 |
| Four days | 87,042 | 60,429 | 709,808 |
The statewide four-day total on the dashboard’s running count is 709,810. The two-vote gap is in the state’s own figures.
Both counties are ahead of the state
Counting in-person and accepted absentee ballots, the dashboard showed this share of active voters had already voted by Saturday morning:
- DeKalb County: 62,236 of 508,819 active voters, or 12.2%
- Fulton County: 90,409 of 765,819 active voters, or 11.8%
- Georgia: 750,604 of 7,532,003 active voters, or 10.0%
Those totals include ballots logged early Saturday: 784 in Fulton and 566 in DeKalb.
How it compares with 2024
The 2024 presidential election is the busiest race on the same dashboard. Early voting that year also opened on a Tuesday, Oct. 15. This year’s midterm is running at about 62% of that pace statewide.
In-person votes in the first four days:
| 2024 | 2026 | 2026 as a share of 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 133,442 | 87,042 | 65% |
| DeKalb County | 79,730 | 60,429 | 76% |
| Georgia | 1,141,799 | 709,808 | 62% |
DeKalb is the closest of the three to its 2024 pace.
Absentee ballots
Mail voting is a small part of the total so far. Statewide, 141,313 voters have asked for an absentee ballot, and counties have accepted 32,129 completed ballots.
- Fulton County has issued 14,229 absentee ballots and accepted 2,583.
- DeKalb County has issued 11,555 and accepted 1,241.
What it means for you
- Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Any Fulton County voter can use any Fulton early voting site. Our Atlanta voting guide lists the sites with Atlanta addresses and their hours.
- Fulton sites are open this weekend. The county’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
- DeKalb County voters vote at DeKalb sites. The state’s My Voter Page shows your county, your early voting sites and your sample ballot.
- The last day to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. A mailed ballot must reach the county by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
- Bring a photo ID, such as a Georgia driver’s license, even if expired.
The U.S. Senate race tops the ballot. Our report on the Ossoff and Collins debate covers where the two candidates stand.
The turnout figures are unofficial and change through the day as counties upload records. Atlanta Live News does not endorse candidates or ballot questions.
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