Going into a final week of advance voting, with a big push Augusta could surpass early in-person turnout in the 2020 presidential election.
The COVID-frenzied 2020 presidential election saw Donald Trump’s loss in Richmond County and Georgia.
Richmond County voters would cast 38,218 in-person advance ballots over 17 days, according to 2020 data released Sunday by the county elections board.
This year, as of Sunday, voters have already cast 35,389 advance in-person ballots and need only 2,829 to catch up to 2020 advance voting levels.
“We are very close to passing our numbers in 2020,” Elections Executive Director Travis Doss said.
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Total turnout in the 2020 presidential election was 65% in Richmond County.
Throughout the early voting period this year, the Robert Howard Center at Diamond Lakes Regional Park has been the most popular. More than 10,000 had voted there as of Sunday over 16 days of voting, followed by Warren Road with 9,641.
At the Linda Beazley Room downtown, 8,716 had voted early, while turnout has been lowest, at 6,498, at the Henry Brigham Center satellite site.
While advance in-person numbers have kept poll workers busy, the data doesn’t account for a big gap in voting by mail.
In 2020, more than 27,900 voted by mail. This year as of Sunday, voters have returned only 2,914 of 4,875 mailed absentee ballots.
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Advance voting for any reason continues from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday at the following locations:
- Beazley Room at Augusta Municipal Building, 535 Telfair St., Augusta
- Henry Brigham Community Center, 2463 Golden Camp Road, Augusta
- Robert Howard Community Center at Diamond Lakes Regional Park, 103 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah
- Warren Road Community Center, 300 Warren Road, Augusta
There is no advance voting after Friday. Voters must use their assigned polling places on Election Day.
