Early In-Person Voting Soars By 177 Percent In DeKalb County

ATLANTA, GA -- More than 10,000 DeKalb County voters have already cast their ballots in the nation's most watched governor's race, as early, in-person voting began in DeKalb and the rest of the state on Monday. According to numbers released by GeorgiaVotes.com, that number of early DeKalb voters is a 177 percent increase over this time in 2014, during the last governor's race.

This year's gubernatorial election between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams has also resulted in a record number of absentee ballots requested as well as a record number of voters being registered.

Abrams, a former state House minority leader, and Kemp are seeking to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, who cannot run for a third term.

Abrams made history back on May 22, when she became the first African-American woman to win a major party's nomination for governor by defeating former state Rep. Stacey Evans. Two months later, Kemp won the GOP nomination after a bitter runoff with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

In a state where Democrats have not won the governorship since 2002, Abrams is campaigning hard in an effort to turn out people who have not traditionally voted at the polls. Kemp, meanwhile, is touting his conservative credentials, hoping that's enough to turn back the tide of an electorate that, particularly in metro Atlanta, has grown more diverse and less staunchly conservative in recent years.

Early in-person voting runs from Monday, Oct. 15, through Friday, Oct. 26, from 8:30 am to 7 pm, and from Monday, Oct. 29, to Friday, Nov. 2, from 7 am to 7 pm. Saturday voting will be held Oct.20 and 27 from 8:30 am to 7 pm, and Sunday voting runs on Oct. 27-28 from noon to 5 pm.

From now until Election Day, your local Patch will be offering the most comprehensive and thorough election coverage of the governor's race and all of the other local races, issues and referendums that matter to you.

SEE ALSO:

• Early In-Person Voting Begins Monday, Oct. 15, In DeKalb County
• Runoff Possible In Nation's Most Watched Governor's Race
• Georgia Shatters All-Time Voter Registration Numbers
• 9,000+ Already Voted In Nation's Most Watched Governor's Race
• America's Most Watched Governor's Race: Early Voting Begins Soon

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