(The Center Square) – More than 2.2 million Georgia voters have voted early or by absentee as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Voter turnout is 27.3% of the state’s 7.5 million registered voters. More than 1 million of the early absentee voters are over the age of 55, according to the office. More than 55% of them are women.
In the 2022 midterms, 2,228,951 Georgians voted early, according to the office. The total turnout was 3,962,030, which represented 56.9% of the state’s registered voters.
Georgia voters are deciding between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson for governor.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff is challenged by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins.
Other statewide elections on the ballot:
• Lieutenant governor: Republican Greg Dolezal and Democrat Josh McLaurin. Current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones ran for governor.
• Attorney general: Republican Brian Strickland and Democrat Tanya Miller. Attorney General Chris Carr ran for governor.
• Secretary of state: Republican Tim Fleming and Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ran for governor.
• Insurance commissioner: Incumbent Republican John King and Democrat Keisha Waites.
• Labor commissioner: Incumbent Republican Barbara Rivera Holmes and Democrat Nikki Porcher.
• Agriculture commissioner: Incumbent Republican Tyler Harper and Democrat Katherine Juhan-Arnold.
• Public Service Commissioner, District 3: Incumbent Democrat Peter Hubbard, who is facing a challenge from former Republican Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson.
• Public Service Commissioner, District 5: Democrat Sheila Edwards and Republican John Tolbert. Tricia Pridemore resigned to run for Congress.
Georgians will also decide three constitutional amendments. Amendment One would increase “the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation as a bona fide conservation use property” by increasing the partial property tax exemption from 2,000 to 4,000 acres.
Amendment Two would make probate judges races nonpartisan.
Amendment Three would allow the General Assembly to create the Next Generation 911 fund.
Early voting concludes on Friday. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.