Cobb Reporter

Georgia voting officials reported a record turnout for the first day of early voting in the 2022 election primary.

The Secretary of State's Office reported that nearly 28,000 Georgia voters cast ballots during in-person voting on the first day of eligibility, a number that is triple the number that voted on the first day of the 2018 primary election and nearly double the June 2020 primary, a Fox 5 Atlanta news release said this week.

"Record turnout on the first day of early voting is a testament to an elections system that ensures top-level security and ease of access," Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement, quoted by Fox 5. "Georgia voters statewide experienced short or nonexistent lines, and a smooth voting process. It remains easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia, further disproving the false narrative from Abrams and her allies about the Election Integrity Act of 2021."

Further analysis of the voting showed that more than 14,700 of the voters were Republicans, over 12,300 were Democrats and more than 260 were nonpartisan.

"The election process itself is important, it affects you locally, so I would just recommend that you vote," Nadine Williams, interim director of Registration and Elections, told Fox 5.

This is the first primary since the Georgia Legislature passed the Republican-backed Election Integrity Act of 2021, which changed some operations for elections in the state.