ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia voters “shattered” the record for early voting turnout in a midterm election Tuesday, the secretary of state’s office said.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 40,000 additional voters showed up on the first day of early voting in Georgia’s 2026 midterm than in 2022.

“Mind you, in 2022, we also saw record-breaking numbers. We saw over 135,000 people come out in 2022 for early voting. We’re already at almost 180,000,” said Michon Lindstrom, senior communications director for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

Early voting has become increasingly popular in Georgia. By the end of early voting in 2022, more than a million people had voted. The state has a good chance of breaking that record based on Tuesday’s turnout.

The secretary of state’s office also addressed absentee ballot requests.

“We’ve already seen 130,000 absentee ballots requested,” Lindstrom said.

By the end of the 2022 midterms, that number was nearly 286,000. The secretary of state’s office says about 5% of Georgia voters usually opt for absentee voting. Absentee ballots must be delivered to the voter’s county election office by 7 p.m. election night, Nov. 3.

Officials say the most important thing — whether voting early, absentee or on Election Day — is being prepared to cast a vote.

“Make sure you have your photo ID. Make sure you know what’s on the ballot. Of course, we know that Senate and Governor are getting a lot of attention. But, there are a lot of other races on the ballot and there are three constitutional amendments,” Lindstrom said.

Amendment 3 is a vote on a measure that could establish a statewide fund intended to be used to upgrade emergency services and 911 systems across Georgia. A “yes” vote supports amending the state constitution to let Georgia lawmakers create and seed the Georgia Next Generation 911 Fund.

Atlanta News First asked the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency about the state’s current 911 system. In a statement, officials said, “Georgia remains one of a handful of states with limited NG911 implementation. Some communities have started the transition, but approximately 88% of 911 centers in Georgia still rely on aging infrastructure.”

The agency added the state’s 911 system dates back to 911 technology used in the 1960s, designed for landline communication.

Voters are weighing in on the measure just weeks after Atlanta’s emergency 911 services were disrupted for hours because of technical difficulties.

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