Early voting is surging across much of the country ahead of the midterm elections, with several battleground states reporting sharp increases from previous cycles. Georgia opened with especially strong participation, setting a brisk pace as voters began casting ballots before Election Day, as reported by News Nation.

Georgia reported a 40% increase in first-day turnout compared with the 2022 midterm elections. The state also recorded more than twice the opening day participation seen during the 2018 midterms, highlighting the scale of the early rush to the polls.

Other states are posting sizable increases as well. Early ballots cast in North Carolina and Maine are up 38% from the last midterm cycle, while Iowa has registered an even larger 61% increase, according to election tracking data cited in the report.

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The early turnout boom extends beyond those states. Ohio’s in-person early vote has more than doubled, while Virginia is seeing nearly twice the turnout recorded during the previous midterm elections.

The broad rise in early voting does not extend evenly to every voting method. Mail ballot returns are moving in the opposite direction in some states, creating a notable contrast with the growth in ballots cast through other early voting options.

Mail ballot returns are down in Florida and have fallen 58% in Georgia. Those declines came after the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s effort to restrict mail voting, according to the report.

Polling has also shown a decline in voter confidence regarding whether the Postal Service can deliver ballots on time. That concern accompanies the reduced mail ballot returns reported in Florida and Georgia, even as overall early participation rises across key states.

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Democrats currently hold an early voting participation advantage in several important states, including North Carolina, Iowa and Pennsylvania. Political analysts, however, caution that early voting patterns do not necessarily predict how many people will vote on Election Day.

Georgia voters who spoke with NewsNation identified a wide range of issues driving them to cast ballots. The economy, inflation, abortion access, and immigration were among the concerns cited by voters participating in the state’s early voting period.

For Melchor Salcedo Lara, rising costs and inflation were central to his decision. “The inflation and out-of-control prices everywhere, and I really think we need a big change,” voter Melchor Salcedo Lara said.

Other voters emphasized reproductive rights and access to abortion. “I also have two daughters, so women’s health is very important to me, access to abortion,” said Emily Dambrin.

Economic uncertainty continued to surface as a recurring issue among Georgia voters. “I think we’re facing uncertainty. How much is gas going to cost? Are the mortgage rates going to continue to go up? What’s going to happen to inflation?” said Greg Hebert, who also cited concerns about ongoing international conflicts.

Immigration and the direction of the country were also top concerns for some voters. “When we immigrated to the United States, we would never believe that this country would become very similar to the ones we ran from,” said Regina Zlotchenko.

The early voting calendar will expand Monday again, when voting begins in Texas, South Carolina, Colorado and several other states. By the end of the week, most of the country will have some form of early voting underway as the midterm elections draw closer.

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