In Georgia, early voting begins with high stakes

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. – As early voting begins in Georgia, both presidential campaigns are urging their supporters to go to the polls. As Georgia becomes a battleground state, its 16 electoral votes could be key to determining the next president.

“Georgia voters are more engaged than ever this year, more so than in other states,” one analyst said, highlighting the increased attention on the state.

This focus is reflected in a flood of political ads and visits from key candidates. Today, former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Cobb County and attend a FOX News town hall event in Forsyth County. On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris will host a rally in Atlanta to increase voter turnout now that voting is underway.

“You will see both parties working hard to strengthen their traditional base,” one political analyst noted, underscoring the intensive efforts to win early votes.

An early voter, desperate to avoid long lines, arrived at her polling station at 3 a.m

“I just want to make sure I don’t have to join the long line, you know? So I just want to get it out of the way. We definitely have to go out and vote,” she said.

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After following both candidates' campaigns, she is confident in their choices and emphasizes the importance of voting early.

Voter turnout is expected to be high during the early voting period, which could lead to longer wait times at polling stations. Both campaigns are closely monitoring early voting data to gauge how the race is shaping up.

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“They will be watching the trends very closely, particularly whether young voters are emerging,” one election analyst said.

Here are some important dates for voters in Georgia:

• October 25th: Last day to request an absentee ballot
• Mandatory voting on Saturday: October 19th and 26th
• November 1st: Last day of early voting
• November 5th: election day

With early voting underway, both campaigns are hoping to secure as many votes as possible before the official election day on November 5th.