Big Crowds, Long Lines For Early Voting in Gwinnett

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Big crowds and long lines were the order of the day on Monday, the first day of early voting in Gwinnett County.

And by mid-afternoon Tuesday, it looked like that trend was continuing.

More than 1,500 people cast a ballot Monday at the Gwinnett County Voter Registration and Elections Office, located at 455 Grayson Highway in Lawrenceville.

That was enough to cause lines sometimes lasting up to five hours. People began lining up as early as 6:30 a.m. Monday, when the polls didn't open until 8 a.m.

Tuesday's voting slowed down, but not too steeply.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, 2,687 people had cast ballots in Gwinnett County, said county spokesman Joe Sorenson.

"We have never seen this much interest this early," Sorenson said of the turnout. "We usually don't see lines like these until you're getting closer to the actual election day."

While there are state and local issues and elections on the ballot, the heavy turnout no doubt was driven largely by what is expected to be a close race in Georgia between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

Georgia, with its 16 electoral votes, is typically considered safe ground for Republicans in presidential elections. But p0lls showing the Peach State as nearly a toss-up have given Democrats hopes of pulling off an upset and taking the state for the first time since Bill Clinton won Georgia in 1992.

They have pointed to an increase in registration among minority voters — particularly among Hispanics in places like Gwinnett County — as cause for hope in this election and elections in the future.

Early voting in Gwinnett will continue at the elections office on week days, through October 28. Voting hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on those days.

The office, as well as seven satellite locations, will open again October 29, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and October 31-November 4 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

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