Now that Republican and Democratic party primary day has arrived, there’s already evidence of a high voter turnout– especially by Republicans casting ballots in the party’s marquee race for governor.
There’s no mistaking the voter enthusiasm that’s fueling interest in the races for state constitutional offices as well as in U.S. congressional primaries around Georgia. As of today, 859,224 people have early voted statewide. At this point in the 2018 primary, that number was 320,692. Total turnout for the 2022 primary is 168% higher!
Let’s analyze the early votes in three of Georgia biggest counties, courtesy of the non-partisan georgiavotes.com website:
In Democrat-dominated Fulton County, the state’s most populous county, Republicans still ought to be pleased with their early voter turnout. At least 841,263 residents are registered to vote. 61,403 (63.4%) people have already voted with Democratic ballots in the 2022 primary, 34,671 (35.8%) early voted with Republican ballots in the 2022 primary and 757 (0.8%) cast Non-Partisan ballots. It indicates a heavy GOP vote in the northern part of the county, and some observers feel continuation of an usually larger-than-expected GOP turnout today could help elect two conservative yet non-partisan Superior Court judges who are on the ballot.
Cobb County, although it has flipped to countywide Democratic in recent years, is still a huge Republican vote generator. At least 557,607 residents are registered to vote, and 61,992 people early voted in the 2022 primary.
Surprisingly, only 26,773 (43.2%) people took Democratic ballots. 34,502 (55.7%) people cast Republican ballots, and 717 (1.2%) people voted with Non-Partisan ballots.
Cobb County Republicans voted heavily for former President Donald Trump in 2020 and are traditionally more conservative than their more moderate Fulton Republican voters. So those large chunks of early GOP votes, if they are expanded upon today, will certainly have an impact on the final outcome as to whether Gov. Brian Kemp or Trump-backed opponent David Perdue will prevail.
For Democrats, watch Gwinnett County because they have dominated countywide elections over the past two years. At least 621,366 residents are registered to vote and 58,765 Gwinnett Countians requested an early ballot for the primary. 29,078 (52.3%) people early voted with Democratic ballots, 26,168 (47.1%) voted with Republican ballots and 320 (0.6%) people chose Non-Partisan ballots. Expect a large Democrat turnout today, since there is a contentious Democratic congressional primary between Lucy McBath and Carolyn Bourdeaux. Which one of those candidates can carry Gwinnett by a large margin should emerge as the party nominee going into November.
