Georgia set a new first-day early voting record for a midterm election on Tuesday, with more than 188,600 voters casting ballots in person across the state.

According to data released by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, the figure surpasses the previous Day 1 midterm record set in 2022 by more than 53,000 votes, a 40% increase in first-day participation.

Black voters accounted for more than 36% of all Day 1 in-person ballots cast, according to data from the nonpartisan election tracking site VoteHub. That figure represents an increase of more than 6 percentage points compared to early voting demographics during the 2024 election cycle.

The turnout comes as Georgia hosts several closely watched political contests. At the top of the ballot, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) is facing healthcare executive Rick Jackson (R) in the gubernatorial race to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp. A number of congressional and state legislative races have also drawn national attention and investment heading into the election.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger credited local election workers and county officials for managing the first-day volume while maintaining short wait times at polling locations statewide.

In-person early voting in Georgia continues through Friday, October 30, ahead of Election Day on November 3.

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