With advance voting reaching new highs, voters shared their choices with The Epoch Times.
Early in-person voting has commenced in the crucial swing state of Georgia.
Known as advance voting in Georgia, the practice began on Oct. 15, following the distribution of absentee ballots to voters who requested them. Advance voting will continue until 5 p.m. on Nov. 1, just a few days before Election Day on Nov. 5.
During a press conference on the morning of Oct. 15, Blake Evans, Georgia’s state elections director, commended local election officials for opening all early voting locations, even in counties affected by Hurricane Helene.
Evans and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger anticipated high turnout based on the significant number of early check-ins, exceeding 71,000 before 10:30 a.m.
By 1 p.m., a post by the secretary of state’s chief operating officer Gabriel Sterling reported that 154,505 advance votes had been cast.
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Geert Loeffen, a voter at an early voting location in Smyrna, Georgia, on Oct. 15, expressed his satisfaction with the turnout, emphasizing the importance of engagement in the process.
Throughout the afternoon of Oct. 15, the parking lots surrounding the Smyrna Community Center were filled with cars. This location is just one of several early voting sites in Cobb County, a pivotal county in the state.
Loeffen, among other voters interviewed by The Epoch Times, chose not to disclose his support for either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that he identifies as an independent.
While concerned about ideological divisions, Loeffen praised Smyrna for fostering unity among residents amidst heightened polarization.
Describing the presidential race in Georgia as “close,” Loeffen emphasized the significance of margins in determining the outcome.
Geert Loeffen voted early in Smyrna, Ga., on Oct. 15, 2024. He declined to say for whom he voted. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
While some voters hesitated to reveal their choices, Dolly Quigley and Beverly Miller, who were seen together after voting, eagerly shared that they did not support Trump.
Quigley expressed disappointment in some of her family members who are Trump supporters, while Miller, an African American, struggled to comprehend support for Trump among young black and Hispanic men.
Dolly Quigley (L) and Beverly Miller (R) after advance voting in Smyrna, Ga., on Oct. 15, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Both retirees, Quigley from Rhode Island and Miller from California, recently moved to Georgia from other states.
Lawrence Freedman, a retired U.S. Customs regional director, voted in the morning at the community center. In the afternoon, he was spotted walking his dog near the center and expressed his support for Donald Trump.
“I was happy to vote for Donald Trump. We were at peace. The economy was pretty good,” Freedman said.
Although he had voted for Democrats in the past, Freedman noted a shift in the party’s ideology. He also emphasized the importance of border protection.
“The border has to be protected, and it’s not happening now,” Freedman stated.
“No election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance,” Judge McBurney stated in his opinion.
Early in-person voting began on Oct. 9 in Arizona, another battleground state. It is set to begin in the coming days and weeks in North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
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