Civic Forge Solutions
NewGeorgia has accepted 552,062 early ballots, 5.1% fewer than at this point in 2022

Georgia has accepted 552,062 early ballots, 5.1% fewer than at this point in 2022

by Civic Forge Solutions
#Georgia#elections#early voting#2026 midterm

With 19 days until Election Day, Black voters have cast 194,840 early ballots, 85 fewer than at this point in 2022. White voters are 30,719 behind. Voters 65 and older are 867 behind.

Explore daily counts by county and voter group on the Georgia Early Voting Dashboard.

Voters 18 to 34 have cast 42,465 ballots, 7.6% more than at this point in 2022, after trailing by 3.3% through Wednesday. They cast 14,284 ballots on Thursday, 38.2% more than on 2022’s matching Thursday.

This year has one fewer day of in-person voting than 2022 at this point. In 2022, in-person voting began on Monday, Oct. 17, 22 days until Election Day, and Georgia had 150,566 accepted ballots by that night. This year it began on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 21 days until Election Day. At 19 days until Election Day, 2022 had four days of in-person voting and 2026 has three.

Statewide, Georgia has accepted 552,062 early ballots, 5.1% fewer than the 582,025 at the same point in 2022. Through Wednesday, the state trailed by 13.7%, or 60,938 ballots. Georgia accepted 169,338 ballots on Thursday, Oct. 15, 30,975 more than on the matching Thursday in 2022, Oct. 20, and the shortfall is now 29,963.

  • In-person ballots now exceed 2022’s count at this point, 528,797 to 520,525. Compared with 2024, a presidential year, the total is 39.1% lower.
  • Each day this week has topped 2022’s matching day: by 50,009 ballots on Tuesday, 33,801 on Wednesday and 30,975 on Thursday.
  • Thursday’s count was 10.1% below the average of Tuesday and Wednesday, the first two days of in-person voting. In 2024, when in-person voting also began on a Tuesday, the first Thursday was 10.7% below that average.

Every group gained on 2022 on Thursday

Through Wednesday, Black voters were 9.7% behind 2022 and voters 65 and older 9.3% behind. After Thursday, they are 85 and 867 ballots short.

The larger gaps are among White voters, 30,719 ballots behind, and voters 35 to 64, 32,240 behind. Each is more than the statewide shortfall of 29,963.

Voters 18 to 34 are the only age or race group shown that is ahead of 2022. Through Wednesday, they had 28,181 ballots against 29,129 in 2022. Thursday added 14,284, which is 3,947 more than 2022’s matching Thursday, and they now have 42,465 against 39,466.

Thursday’s voters were younger and a smaller share Black than the first two days’ voters:

  • Black voters cast 33.4% of Thursday’s ballots, down from 36.1% through Wednesday.
  • Voters 18 to 34 cast 8.4%, up from 7.4%.
  • 2022’s matching Thursday showed the same shift: Black voters cast 30.2% of its ballots, down from 34.5% before it.

Black voters and voters 65 and older are within 1% of their 2022 ballot counts

Change in accepted early ballots from 2022 by group, through Wednesday and through ThursdayPercent change in accepted early ballots from 2022 at the same number of days until Election Day, through Wednesday (20 days) and through Thursday (19 days). All ballots: -13.7% to -5.1%; Core Counties: -11.9% to -3.4%; Rest of the state: -14.8% to -6.2%; Black voters: -9.7% to -0.04%; White voters: -17.4% to -9.6%; Ages 18 to 34: -3.3% to +7.6%; Ages 35 to 64: -20.8% to -13.0%; Ages 65 and older: -9.3% to -0.3%. The Core Counties are Clayton, DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett.Through Wednesday, 20 days until Election DayThrough Thursday, 19 daysWed.Thu.-20%-10%0%+10%Change from 2022 at the same pointAll ballots-13.7%-5.1%Core Counties-11.9%-3.4%Rest of the state-14.8%-6.2%Black voters-9.7%-0.04%White voters-17.4%-9.6%Ages 18 to 34-3.3%+7.6%Ages 35 to 64-20.8%-13.0%Ages 65 and older-9.3%-0.3%

Scroll horizontally to see the full chart.

Through Wednesday compares Oct. 14, 2026 with Oct. 19, 2022; through Thursday compares Oct. 15, 2026 with Oct. 20, 2022. The Core Counties are Clayton, DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett.

Source: Civic Forge Solutions 2026 Early Voting Dashboard

Georgia is 29,963 ballots behind 2022

The remaining shortfall dates to 2022’s first day of in-person voting. At 22 days until Election Day this year, Monday, Oct. 12, Georgia had 5,818 accepted ballots, against 150,566 on 2022’s first day. Every day since in-person voting began on Oct. 13 has added more ballots than 2022’s matching day.

Ballots processed late also raised earlier counts. The state records released Friday include 1,779 more ballots returned through Wednesday than the records released Thursday, 1,497 of them by mail. Wednesday’s running total is now 382,724, up from 380,945.

Georgia’s running total moved within 29,963 ballots of 2022’s on Thursday

Running total of accepted early ballots by days until Election Day, 2022, 2024 and 2026Running total of accepted early ballots by days until Election Day. 2022: 150,566 at 22 days (Oct. 17), 297,307 at 21, 443,662 at 20 and 582,025 at 19 days (Oct. 20). 2024: 14,753, 341,637, 631,451 and 906,660. 2026: 5,818, 202,568, 382,724 and 552,062 at 19 days (Oct. 15). 2026 trailed 2022 by 144,748, 94,739, 60,938 and 29,963 ballots.0250K500K750K1M222022: Monday, Oct. 172024: Monday, Oct. 142026: Monday, Oct. 12212022: Tuesday, Oct. 182024: Tuesday, Oct. 152026: Tuesday, Oct. 13202022: Wednesday, Oct. 192024: Wednesday, Oct. 162026: Wednesday, Oct. 14192022: Thursday, Oct. 202024: Thursday, Oct. 172026: Thursday, Oct. 15Days until Election Day2024: 906,6602022: 582,0252026: 552,06229,963 behind 202260,938 behind94,739 behind

Scroll horizontally to see the full chart.

In-person voting began on Monday, Oct. 17, in 2022, 22 days until Election Day, and on a Tuesday, 21 days until Election Day, in 2024 and 2026.

Source: Civic Forge Solutions 2026 Early Voting Dashboard

In-person ballots passed 2022’s count

Through Thursday, Georgia has accepted 528,797 in-person ballots, 8,272 more than at this point in 2022. Through Wednesday, it had 32,612 fewer. In-person ballots are 37.6% below 2024’s count at this point.

Georgia has accepted 21,102 mail ballots, 3.8% of this year’s early ballots. Mail ballots are counted when county election offices accept them, so recent days fill in as offices process returns. Wednesday’s mail count rose from 4,146 in Thursday’s records to 5,492 in Friday’s.

Thursday brought fewer ballots than Tuesday or Wednesday

Georgia accepted 196,750 ballots on Tuesday, 180,156 on Wednesday and 169,338 on Thursday. The first two days averaged 188,453. Thursday fell 6.0% from Wednesday, after Wednesday fell 8.4% from Tuesday. In-person ballots followed the same path: 190,392, 174,521 and 163,882.

2024’s first three days of in-person voting fell on the same weekdays and declined in the same way, from 326,884 to 289,814 to 275,209. 2022’s matching days were its second through fourth days of in-person voting and held steadier, from 146,741 to 146,355 to 138,363.

Thursday’s 169,338 ballots were 10.1% below the Tuesday-Wednesday average

Accepted early ballots on each day, Tuesday through Thursday, 2026, 2022 and 2024Accepted early ballots on each day. 2026: 196,750 on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 180,156 on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and 169,338 on Thursday, Oct. 15; Thursday was 10.1% below the Tuesday-Wednesday average. 2022: 146,741 on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 146,355 on Wednesday, Oct. 19 and 138,363 on Thursday, Oct. 20; Thursday was 5.6% below the Tuesday-Wednesday average. 2024: 326,884 on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 289,814 on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and 275,209 on Thursday, Oct. 17; Thursday was 10.7% below the Tuesday-Wednesday average. Days are matched by days until Election Day: 21, 20 and 19.2026Thursday: 10.1% below the Tuesday-Wednesday averageTuesday, Oct. 13196,750Wednesday, Oct. 14180,156Thursday, Oct. 15169,3382022Thursday: 5.6% below the Tuesday-Wednesday averageTuesday, Oct. 18146,741Wednesday, Oct. 19146,355Thursday, Oct. 20138,3632024Thursday: 10.7% below the Tuesday-Wednesday averageTuesday, Oct. 15326,884Wednesday, Oct. 16289,814Thursday, Oct. 17275,209

Scroll horizontally to see the full chart.

Each year’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday fall 21, 20 and 19 days until Election Day. All bars use the same scale.

Source: Civic Forge Solutions 2026 Early Voting Dashboard

How to read this table: each row is one day. The 2022 and 2024 columns show the day with the same number of days until Election Day. Mail ballots are counted on the day a county election office accepts them, so this year’s mail counts for recent days can rise in later records; 2022 and 2024 mail counts are not shown.

Day (days until Election Day)2026 all ballots2026 in person2026 mail2022 all ballots2022 in person2024 all ballots2024 in person
Tuesday (21)196,750190,3926,056146,741134,841326,884310,956
Wednesday (20)180,156174,5215,492146,355127,790289,814277,756
Thursday (19)169,338163,8825,308138,363122,998275,209258,051
Thursday vs. Tuesday-Wednesday average-10.1%-10.2%-5.6%-6.3%-10.7%-12.3%

Scroll horizontally to see the full table.

  • This year’s Thursday in-person count, 163,882, was 40,884 above 2022’s matching Thursday and 94,169 below 2024’s.
  • In-person ballots on Thursday were 10.2% below the Tuesday-Wednesday average, between 2022’s 6.3% and 2024’s 12.3%.
  • 2022’s matching Thursday was 5.6% below its Tuesday-Wednesday average, about half this year’s decline.

21 counties are ahead of 2022

Twenty-one of Georgia’s 159 counties have accepted more early ballots than at this point in 2022, 137 have accepted fewer, and Wheeler County has accepted the same number, 210. The median county is 15.0% behind 2022, while the statewide total is 5.1% behind; 105 counties are at least 10% behind.

The 21 counties ahead include seven of the 20 with the most registered voters: Cherokee, Forsyth, Richmond, Cobb, Gwinnett, Bibb and Fayette. Together the 21 have accepted 173,238 ballots, 18,324 more than in 2022, while the 137 counties behind have accepted 378,614, 48,287 fewer. Cherokee, Forsyth and Richmond alone account for 13,273 of the gain.

21 of Georgia’s 159 counties have accepted more early ballots than at this point in 2022

Change in accepted early ballots from 2022 by countyMap of Georgia's 159 counties shaded by the change in accepted early ballots from 2022 at 19 days until Election Day. 21 counties are ahead of 2022, 137 are behind and 1 is even. Forsyth +67.7% (12,975 vs 7,737); Cherokee +46.9% (16,749 vs 11,399); Gwinnett +3.5% (39,709 vs 38,353); Cobb +3.9% (44,746 vs 43,077); Fulton -7.5% (66,819 vs 72,252); DeKalb -7.3% (45,496 vs 49,101); Clayton -8.4% (15,987 vs 17,447); Muscogee -15.6% (9,133 vs 10,816); Richmond +45.1% (8,635 vs 5,950); Chatham -3.6% (13,183 vs 13,681).McDuffie: -18.3%Brantley: -30.4%Lamar: +10.5%Floyd: -2.7%Terrell: -24.0%Clayton: -8.4%Columbia: -8.1%Macon: -36.4%Charlton: -30.8%Polk: -6.1%DeKalb: -7.3%Pickens: -6.8%Franklin: -14.7%Taliaferro: -5.4%Carroll: -26.0%Cook: -22.4%Toombs: -28.4%Lincoln: -12.6%Harris: -16.4%Screven: -15.2%Walton: +5.2%Gordon: -18.8%Hart: -7.5%Upson: -14.6%Barrow: -7.5%Long: -1.8%Paulding: -15.8%Crawford: -17.2%Union: -10.4%Habersham: -27.1%Wilkinson: -32.3%Meriwether: -20.7%Chattahoochee: -13.5%Berrien: -23.8%Fayette: +2.9%Hancock: -17.2%Tift: +7.3%Haralson: -11.0%Clay: -14.6%Bartow: -15.3%Hall: -8.5%Treutlen: -34.1%Calhoun: -34.7%Early: -44.7%Candler: -23.4%Muscogee: -15.6%Crisp: -15.4%Sumter: -8.0%Clarke: -15.1%Coweta: -0.7%Bleckley: -14.7%Burke: -14.6%Marion: -14.3%Jasper: -13.3%Henry: -2.8%Atkinson: -36.5%Talbot: -30.2%Dawson: -15.1%Johnson: -30.8%Washington: +6.7%Dodge: +2.3%Camden: -4.7%Peach: -15.1%White: +5.4%Jefferson: -49.8%Twiggs: -22.1%Dougherty: -3.4%Catoosa: -6.1%Douglas: -3.4%Morgan: +5.0%Bulloch: -6.4%Wheeler: even with 2022Evans: -20.3%Webster: -25.7%Jones: -4.5%Gwinnett: +3.5%Worth: -23.5%Pierce: -23.8%Pike: -16.3%Stewart: -24.0%Troup: -19.8%Stephens: -10.3%Emanuel: -16.0%Colquitt: -25.0%Richmond: +45.1%Banks: -1.9%Wayne: +3.0%Echols: -44.1%Liberty: +1.9%Rockdale: -8.9%Elbert: -28.9%Wilcox: -9.7%Towns: -12.6%Dooly: -6.8%Pulaski: -11.9%Coffee: -15.8%Ware: -28.3%Appling: -7.2%Fulton: -7.5%Schley: -30.8%Bryan: -15.0%Clinch: -42.6%Lowndes: -22.5%Turner: -11.9%Randolph: -22.9%Jeff Davis: -17.9%Murray: +5.0%Ben Hill: -32.3%Lanier: -31.7%Quitman: -32.2%Oglethorpe: -14.4%Irwin: -27.5%Taylor: -25.9%Montgomery: -24.9%Greene: -18.7%Warren: -28.5%Jenkins: -31.0%Heard: -23.2%Walker: -5.7%Chatham: -3.6%Rabun: -25.2%Oconee: -11.4%Brooks: -28.6%Telfair: -32.4%Miller: -45.3%Laurens: -19.5%Effingham: -14.6%Madison: -11.0%Cobb: +3.9%Seminole: -56.0%Putnam: +1.9%Baker: -42.7%Thomas: -18.8%Cherokee: +46.9%Chattooga: -14.1%Decatur: -47.4%Mitchell: -26.5%Newton: +1.3%Grady: -36.3%Bibb: +3.2%Bacon: -24.6%Jackson: -4.2%Tattnall: -9.2%Wilkes: +7.3%Glascock: -14.1%Whitfield: -10.2%Spalding: +10.1%Butts: -21.6%Lumpkin: -16.3%Dade: -22.7%Houston: -11.6%McIntosh: -19.1%Monroe: -12.7%Forsyth: +67.7%Glynn: -10.5%Baldwin: -6.4%Fannin: -10.0%Lee: -18.6%Gilmer: -15.3%More than 30% behind20% to 30% behind10% to 20% behindLess than 10% behindEven to 10% aheadMore than 10% aheadForsyth +67.7%Cherokee +46.9%Gwinnett +3.5%Cobb +3.9%Fulton -7.5%DeKalb -7.3%Clayton -8.4%Muscogee -15.6%Richmond +45.1%Chatham -3.6%

Change in accepted early ballots from Oct. 20, 2022 to Oct. 15, 2026, both 19 days until Election Day.

Source: Civic Forge Solutions 2026 Early Voting Dashboard

How to read this table: the five counties with the largest gains in accepted early ballots over 2022 at 19 days until Election Day, then the five with the largest losses. Shaded rows are Core Counties.

County2026 ballots2022 ballotsChange in ballotsChange
Cherokee16,74911,399+5,350+46.9%
Forsyth12,9757,737+5,238+67.7%
Richmond8,6355,950+2,685+45.1%
Cobb44,74643,077+1,669+3.9%
Gwinnett39,70938,353+1,356+3.5%
Fulton66,81972,252-5,433-7.5%
DeKalb45,49649,101-3,605-7.3%
Muscogee9,13310,816-1,683-15.6%
Clayton15,98717,447-1,460-8.4%
Paulding7,7129,160-1,448-15.8%
  • Fulton’s loss of 5,433 ballots is about the size of Cherokee’s gain of 5,350 or Forsyth’s of 5,238.
  • The five largest gains total 16,298 ballots; the five largest losses total 13,629.
  • Cobb and Gwinnett are the only Core Counties ahead of 2022.

Atlanta Metro’s Democratic Core, called the Core Counties here, is Clayton, DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties; the other 154 counties are the rest of the state. The Core Counties have accepted 212,757 early ballots, 3.4% fewer than at this point in 2022, and the rest of the state 339,305, 6.2% fewer. Through Wednesday, the gaps were 11.9% and 14.8%. Thursday’s drop from Wednesday was larger in the Core Counties, 7.8%, than in the rest of the state, 4.9%.

What we are watching next

  • Friday, Oct. 16, is 18 days until Election Day, matching Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, when Georgia accepted 156,481 ballots. A 2026 Friday above that narrows the 29,963-ballot gap.
  • To pass 2022’s running total at 18 days until Election Day, 738,506, Georgia must add 186,444 accepted ballots to Thursday’s total. Only Tuesday, with 196,750, has brought more this year.
  • 2024 reached 1,212,330 at 18 days until Election Day after 305,667 ballots on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.