Rural Georgia Counties Lead in Early Voting, Outpacing Democratic Strongholds
Recent data shows that rural Georgians are voting early at a higher rate compared to those living in Democratic-leaning counties that played a crucial role in turning the state blue in 2020. According to the state’s elections website, the top 23 counties for absentee and early in-person voter turnout were actually won by former President Donald Trump in the last election.
For example, Towns, Oconee, and Rabun counties have seen 69.06%, 65.51%, and 64.46% of their active voters already casting their ballots, respectively. Towns County voters have surpassed the Georgia county average early turnout rate by approximately 15%, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
On the other hand, suburban blue-leaning counties like Cobb and Gwinnett, as well as the Democratic stronghold of Fulton County, are lagging behind in early voting percentages. Fulton County, home to Atlanta, has had 53.51% of its active voters cast their ballots before Election Day.
Georgia has broken early voting records since October 15, with more than half of the state’s total active voters already participating in the voting process. Despite the high early turnout in rural areas that favored Trump, the Atlanta metro-area counties that supported Biden are still significantly larger in population.
Fulton County leads the pack with nearly 385,000 early in-person ballots cast, followed by Gwinnett County with 275,207 and Cobb County with 271,426. In comparison, Towns County had just under 7,000 residents vote in person during the early voting period.
The surge in early voting in rural parts of Georgia could suggest that Trump and Republicans have successfully energized their base. This shift in voter behavior may also impact the traditional interpretation of early voting trends, where Democrats usually have the upper hand.
While early turnout in some rural red Georgia counties is on track to match their total turnout from the previous election, analysts like Dave Wasserman caution that it does not necessarily predict the final outcome. Wasserman highlighted the difference in turnout percentages between Trump-leaning and Biden-leaning counties, indicating that Democrats may need to work harder to mobilize their voters in the remaining days.
The increased focus on early voting and voter turnout in Georgia reflects the intense political landscape in the state, with both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris investing significant resources. As the election date approaches, the competition between red and blue counties continues to shape the narrative of voter engagement and party enthusiasm.