More than 1 million Georgians have already voted in person in the November election, according to the secretary of state's office.
As of noon Tuesday, 1,007,015 people had voted early in person, compared with 894,412 at the same point in 2022. That's an increase of about 13%.
Another 48,916 absentee ballots had been accepted, bringing overall turnout to 1,055,931. That represents about 14% of approximately 7.5 million active registered voters, roughly 1 in 7.
"We continue to break records each day of early voting," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. "This is evidence that Georgians trust our election process. The strong turnout reflects the work our 159 county election officials do to make our elections free, fair, and fast."
The milestone follows a record-setting opening day for early in-person voting in a Georgia midterm election.
The secretary of state's office reported that 188,667 people voted in person on Oct. 13. That was 53,705 more than the first day in 2022, an increase of about 40%. The first-day total in 2018 was 70,849.
Tuesday's figures reflect overall participation, not votes for individual candidates. The totals are unofficial and will continue to be updated.
Many voters told CBS News Atlanta that their top concerns include the economy, inflation, healthcare, and international conflicts.
Dean Owens said he voted because of concerns about "the economy" and believes "it was more important to come out and show support for decency and democracy and to support the Constitution."
"In order to get the economy fixed, it is going to take some people using common sense and a little less corruption," Owen said.
John Flick said rising costs motivated him to vote, pointing to "gas, food" and concerns about affordability for younger generations.
"My children don't have houses because they can't afford them. It is crazy. It has just gone nuts," he said.
College student Asia Quigley said healthcare and "body autonomy" were key issues for her. She also emphasized the importance of civic engagement among young voters, saying many people her age "don't know how powerful their vote can be."
Other voters said they cast ballots simply out of civic responsibility. "It is my duty of being a citizen," C.V. Sudarshan said.
Malik Webb said he felt compelled to vote because of the activism of his ancestors.
"My ancestors protested for me to have the right to vote," Webb said.
Jane McGuigan traveled with a group of friends and neighbors from a senior living facility. She said she voted because she believed everyone should vote and express their opinions, especially because of the significance of the United States in the world.
"Our country is a special wonderful country," she said.
The record numbers of early voters could be a reflection of the heightened interest in this year's race as Georgia remains a key battleground state. Early voting continues through Oct. 30.
Voters can find their county's voting locations and hours on the state's My Voter Page. Updated turnout figures are available through the secretary of state's Election Data Hub.
