More than 1 million early votes already cast in Georgia’s historic 2022 midterms

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - More than 1 million Georgians have already voted in the state’s 2022 midterm elections, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday.

The announcement came with exactly two weeks remaining until election day, Nov. 8. Early voting ends the Friday before election day, which is Nov. 4.

For Brandon Kelly of Clayton County, voting early is all about convenience. He also wanted to vote without having to take a day from work.

“Because every time I do the early voting, it is in and out. Every time I voted and it’s that day that you’re supposed to there’s just always a big line,” said Brandon Kelly.

More than 660,000 voters cast early ballots last week, a 51% increase from day five of 2018 midterm early voting and a number only 18% less than the total of day five of early voting in the 2020 presidential election.

RELATED: Georgia’s voting laws remain Jim Crow 2.0 despite record Black turnout, organization says

Early voting numbers in 2022 have remained within striking distance of 2020 turnout and have shattered previous midterm turnout records by 50% or greater during every day of early voting last week.

Clayton County resident Tonya Lee is a first time early voter.

“I just wanted to make sure that my vote counted and I wanted to make sure that I get up there early,” said Tonya Lee.

RELATED: Record-high early voting numbers among Black voters in Georgia

Georgia’s nationally watched midterms feature some of the Democratic and Republican parties’ biggest names. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is in a re-election battle with Republican Herschel Walker, while Democrat Stacey Abrams is again seeking to become the nation’s first Black female governor by unseating Gov. Brian Kemp, who defeated her in 2018.

RELATED: Four constitutional amendments are being decided by Georgians right now

This story is developing.

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