US Elections: Over 300K Cast Ballots as Early Voting Begins
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....
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.[1]
- 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.[2][3]
- In a separate case on Tuesday, McBurney also overturned a rule requiring a hand count of ballots in Georgia after polls close on Nov. 5, stating that a hand count was 'too much, too late' and would cause 'a substantial threat of irreparable harm.'[4][5]
- The hand-count rule, opposed by Democrats, was passed by the majority Republican Georgia State Election Board, with the stated intent of making voting more transparent.[6]
- Georgia has also tightened its mail-in voting laws by requiring voters to show proof of identity and having fewer ballot deposit locations.[7]
- Georgia is one of multiple swing states that could favor either Democrats or Republicans this election cycle. The others include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina.[8][7]
Sources: [1]CNN, [2]New York Times, [3]ABC30 Fresno, [4]CBS, [5]New York Post, [6]Guardian, [7]Reuters and [8]Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Guardian and New York Times. 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, as provided by Daily Wire. 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.
