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Local early voting follows statewide trends

Brant Sanderlin via AJC

Like the state overall, early voting in Athens has seen record breaking numbers.

Over 9,200 ballots have been cast in-person in Athens-Clarke County as of Saturday. 10,300 ballots have been cast total including absentee ballots.

Ballots in Athens skew left, with 5,195 cast for Democrats and 3,937 cast for Republicans, according to the latest numbers from the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections.

Last year’s State Bill 202 tightened absentee ballot rules during this year’s election, mandating a pen-and-ink signature on applications, adding additional ID requirements, and limiting drop box locations. According to the BOE, 626 absentee ballots have yet to be returned.

Tomorrow, local voting precincts will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Absentee ballots must be returned by that deadline at the drop box on East Washington Street.

More than 850,000 people participated in early voting statewide according to numbers released Saturday by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. That includes absentee and early voting ballots cast in person. Ballots lean Republican at 56.3% of the total, with 43% Democrat and the rest nonpartisan.