This story was updated on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at 6:44 p.m.
Half of all active voters in Georgia have cast a ballot in the 2024 general election before the last day of early in-person voting.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office website, the state reached 50% turnout among active voters as of Thursday afternoon. Active voters are registered to vote and have within the last five years either voted, requested an absentee ballot, updated their address or signed a petition.
More than 3.65 million people have voted as of Thursday afternoon, with more than 3.4 million ballots cast in person and more than 226,000 absentee ballots accepted.
Early voters can use any voting location in their county. On Election Day, you must vote in your assigned precinct.
It’s a critical election year, and Georgia is at the center of it. Stay in the know with WABE’s 2024 Georgia Elections page, where you can find WABE’s latest election news and podcast episodes, important dates, voting locations, candidate info, results and more.
At this point, election officials advise against returning absentee ballots by mail.
“Take it to your local county elections office or the drop box at the early voting location in your county. That way you’re protecting your vote,” Georgia Secretary of State’s Office Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling said at a Wednesday press conference.
Cobb County is sending express return envelopes with more than 3,000 absentee ballots requested right before the deadline. Most of them will arrive by Friday morning, and the ballots will contain prepaid express return envelopes so that voters can return them to arrive at their election office by Tuesday.
To deal with a high number of absentee ballot requests, Cobb County is extending the hours for returning absentee ballots at the elections headquarters at 995 Roswell St., Marietta, this weekend. Voters can return absentee ballots on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In other counties, drop boxes are available at certain early voting locations only through Friday. You can also return your ballot directly to the county election office. Ballots must be received by the time polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day.
You can cancel an unreturned absentee ballot and vote in-person.
Check your ballot status and polling place with the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
