More than 17K local ballots cast so far

♦ The state continues to see huge early voting numbers for the Nov. 3 election

Georgians are turning out to vote in record-breaking numbers both by mail and at local polling places during the early voting period less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

Nearly 2 million people had voted as of noon Wednesday in the hotly anticipated election that features a presidential contest, both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats, congressional, state and local offices all on the ballot.

More than 17,000 Floyd County residents had cast ballots by close of business Wednesday, according to Chief Elections Clerk Robert Brady. The total includes 9,986 in-person votes at the three early voting locations and 7,946 absentee ballots returned out of the 16,040 issued so far.

Statewide, more than 1.2 million had cast ballots in person during the three-week early voting period that started last Monday, marking a roughly 60% increase in the number of early voters compared to the same point in the 2016 election.

And to date, around 783,000 voters have cast absentee ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has prompted many Georgians to avoid the lines and virus transmission risks involved

in heading to the polls. By this time in the 2016 election, roughly 103,000 mailin ballots had been cast.

“Notwithstanding the pandemic, voters in the Peach State can take advantage of no- excuse absentee ballot voting by mail or through a secure drop box, three weeks of early in-person voting or Election Day voting,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

With turnout still climbing, state and county election officials expect even more people to cast ballots next week in the days leading up to the election. Raffensperger said earlier this week turnout could top 2.5 million for early voting, with another 2 million voting on

Election Day.

Brady said the Floyd County Health Department, opened as an early voting precinct this week, will also be open next week when the Rome Civic Center is added as a fourth location. The Floyd County Administration Building and Garden Lakes Baptist Church will continue to be available as options.

Georgia voters have already contended with hours-long waits in line outside many polling places since early voting began last week. Officials have urged voters to take advantage of an online portal to request absentee ballots and to mail them back as soon as possible.

As of Monday, Raffensperger said more than 1.6 million absentee ballots had been requested.