Early voting showcases election importance

ELLIJAY, Ga. – The Gilmer County Elections office reported a record-setting first day of early voting.

Maintaining high numbers compared to some elections, this mid-term season is shaping up to be just as important and well attended as the 2016 elections as we are already showcasing quite similarly to that year.

Out of 20,491 registered voters in the county, including those deemed inactive at this time, Gilmer has seen 6,804 people voting early either by the 6,308 who voted in person at the Registrar’s Office, 487 voters who mailed in ballots early, or the 9 electronic ballots that were mailed in.

Compare that to the 2016 election who saw 6,833 early voters in person, 660 mail-in ballots, and 30 electronic ballots. With such similar numbers, the small gap could simply be a swing towards voting on election day. However, the numbers for this year could still rise as Head of Voter Registrar’s for Gilmer, Nelda Spires says these could still come in early next week.

Comparing this year’s 6,804 total early voters to 2016’s 7,523 highlights the rising attention people have been paying to recent events and politics. As Gilmer moves into next Tuesday, election night, citizens are closely watching final tallies for both parties. Stay with FYN as we report election night totals in real time for Gilmer County