Georgia voters set three single-day early voter turnout records in the runoff election between U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican challenger Herschel Walker: first on Nov. 28 with 303,665 votes, then on Nov. 29 with 304,953 votes and again on Dec. 2 with 352,953 votes. Previously, the record for single-day early voter turnout was the 2016 election, when 253,000 early votes were cast on the Friday before the presidential election.
Early voting for Georgia’s Senate runoff election began on Nov. 28 and ran through Dec. 2. Election Day is Dec. 6.
Emory University’s 1599 Clifton Road polling location also saw high early voter turnout.
“Our wait times have ranged from as little as 25 minutes to 90 minutes,” student volunteer at 1599 Clifton Road Merom Arthur (25C) wrote in an email to the Wheel. “I know over 500 individuals voted from Wednesday to Thursday.”
Emory Votes Initiatives Program Coordinator Hannah Joy Gebresilassie described the voter turnout numbers as “unprecedented.” Over 10,000 votes were cast in the runoff election at the 1599 Clifton Road polling location, with over 9,700 being cast during the week of early voting. The 1599 Clifton Road polling location ranked among the top three DeKalb County polls in terms of voter volume, according to Gebresilassie.
“The line was wrapped around inside and wrapped around outside the building,” Gebresilassie said. “Fortunately, we had an amazing team, an amazing system, really running this well-oiled machine, getting people from station to station.”
Gebresilassie stated that about a dozen Emory students volunteered in response to the high early voting turnout, often working two to four hour shifts. She noted that there were about 50 total volunteers including students, staff and faculty. Poll workers and Gebresilassie often worked 12 hour days.
Arthur wrote that volunteers helped out with crowd control and passing absentee ballot forms, clipboards and pens to voters in line. Gebresilassie said that the students’ commitment speaks to Emory’s civic engagement “culture,” noting that the Emory polling location would not be able to run without them.
“Oftentimes people are returning from work, are with their families or simply had a long day, but making the voting process more peaceful for people might compel them to vote consistently,” Arthur wrote.
Not everyone is required to wait in line to vote. Poll Worker Sally Oakes (91T) explained that voters 75 and older and disabled voters are authorized to vote immediately at the next available voting booth without having to wait in line under the Georgia Code.
Despite waiting in line for 90 minutes, Charlotte Beard (25C) encouraged people to vote.
“I think a lot of people in recent years have felt very powerless in the state of our country and the state of our government and voting is the biggest way that we can take hold of that power and partake in our democracy and help keep it alive,” Beard said.
Victoria Keane (25C), who waited in line with Beard, echoed her sentiment. She explained that in the time students spend on their phones or going to the gym, they can come and wait at polling sites to vote because it is important.
Arthur also expressed her admiration for voters.
“It is good to know that people see and understand the importance of this election and are fulfilling their role by taking the time to vote,” Arthur said. “We see people wait in lines outside and wrapping in and out of the building to cast their vote, all for a good cause and a better tomorrow.”
Gebresilassie similarly praised student voters, describing the new generation as “relentless” and “empowering.”
“It’s finals and these students are still coming out in waves,” Gebresilassie said. “I want to say much respect to all these students who are coming out and thank them for the hard work that they’ve been doing.”
The Emory polling site also faced a group of people campaigning outside for a certain political candidate on Nov. 30 in addition to the high number of early voters, a sheriff at the polling site said. However, the situation was quickly addressed.
“Within a matter of, I would say seconds, minutes, the officers came out as soon as we were able to identify that there was a situation,” Gebresilassie said. “They went out and told them that they needed to move.”
According to the Georgia Code, nobody is allowed to campaign within 150 feet of a polling place.
Although Oakes said no major complications arose during the week of early voting at 1599 Clifton Road, Gebresilassie stated that there are still important improvements to be made to the “infrastructure” of the voting system.
“As Georgia, as counties, as communities, we need to look at the situation further, assess it and see what we can do to make these lines more efficient,” Gebresilassie said. “At the end of the day, we don’t want people waiting two hours, one hour to vote in Georgia.”
Update (12/17/22 at 9:41 p.m.): A previous version of this article stated that student volunteers worked 12 hour days at the polling site. In fact, Emory Votes Initiatives Program Coordinator Hannah Joy Gebresilassie and poll workers worked 12 hour days, while student volunteers worked two to four hour shifts.
Update (12/17/22 at 9:41 p.m.): This article was updated to include the number of votes cast throughout the week of early voting and Election Day.
