Poll: Half of voters plan to cast their ballots early — with a stark partisan divide
NBCOct 18
US Elections: Over 300K Cast Ballots as Early Voting Begins
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Above: People stand in line at Metropolitan Library to cast their votes in the US presidential election on Oct. 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Image copyright: Megan Varner/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Georgia, a key swing state in the 2024 presidential election, witnessed a record turnout for the first day of early voting, with 328K ballots cast on Tuesday.
The previous first-day record — set in 2020 when 136K voted — had been broken by 1 p.m. Tuesday, a day after state Judge Robert McBurney barred election officials from delaying or refusing to certify poll results over allegations of fraud or errors.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Georgia has yet again emerged as a critical battleground state, with record-breaking early voting numbers on Tuesday highlighting its pivotal role. With its potential to decide the electoral outcome between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the rest of the country must follow in Judge McBurney's footsteps and protect these state institutions should Trump-aligned officials attempt to meddle in the election before, on, or after Nov. 5.
Republican narrative
Georgia's record-breaking voter turnout demonstrates the effectiveness of its election laws. Despite smear campaigns about voter suppression and racism, these laws have balanced voter identification security to prevent fraud with streamlined processes to maintain ease of voting. While the court may have stuck down some new rules, the most important one — voter IDs — is reassuring all Georgians that their election is free and fair.
