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Clarke Board of Elections to consider expanding early voting hours

A line of voters stretched outside the Clarke County Elections Office on the first day of early voting, October 22, 2022.
Julianne Akers/WUGA
A line of voters stretched outside the Clarke County Elections Office on the first day of early voting, October 22, 2022.

Early voting hours in Athens could be expanded as the midterm election draws closer.

The Clarke County Board of Elections is encouraging members of the public to comment on a possible expansion of early voting times at a special called meeting this afternoon. Some members of the Board have expressed concerns that ending early voting at 5 p.m. on weekdays, as currently scheduled, makes it difficult for many workers, especially those in the service industry and at UGA, to vote early because the hours could conflict with their work schedules.

While early voting across Georgia has hit record highs for a midterm election, early voting in Athens-Clarke County has been less impressive. As of Wednesday morning, 7,076 people had voted either in-person or via mail. Of the 5,426 early voters so far,

The Board of Elections will hear public comment and discuss expanding early voting hours at a meeting this afternoon. That meeting begins at 4:30 at 2555 Lexington Road.

Martin Matheny is WUGA's Program Director and a host and producer of our local news program 'Athens News Matters.' He started at WUGA in 2012 as a part-time classical music host and still hosts WUGA's longest-running local program 'Night Music' which is heard on WUGA and GPB Classical. He lives in Normaltown with his wife, Shaye and dog, Murphy.
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