STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — A vibrant display of flags declaring “Vote Here” adorned the Mountain Park Activity Building, featuring multiple languages including English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese. On Thursday, a significant number of voters flocked to the venue to make their choices in the upcoming 2024 election.

This surge in early voting has contributed to an impressive total of early ballots in Georgia, a crucial swing state. By the time early voting concludes on Friday, it is anticipated that nearly 4 million total votes will have been cast, showcasing a noteworthy participation trend as Election Day approaches on Tuesday.

Mike King from Lilburn, a mailman, shared his motivation for voting early: “I normally try to vote early because I’m a mailman and it’s hard to me to get over here on an election day.” After casting his ballot for Trump, he went on his way in his red pickup truck.

Voters like King illustrate the reasons behind the record-setting early voting numbers in Georgia, as well as in other presidential battlegrounds such as North Carolina, and even in states without contentious races like New Jersey and Louisiana. Despite the skepticism expressed by former President Trump regarding early and mail-in voting during the previous elections, this year his rhetoric has shifted, with an emphasis on early voting. His supporters appear motivated to capitalize on this change. While more Republicans are participating in early voting this year compared to prior elections, mail-in voting among them has not seen as dramatic an increase.

“The Trump effect is real,” commented Jason Snead, the executive director of Honest Elections, a conservative organization focused on electoral policies.

Up to this point, approximately 64 million ballots have been cast in the 2024 voting cycle, which accounts for over a third of the total votes from the 2020 election. While not all states categorize voters by party affiliation, in those that do, early voters show a minor Republican majority in comparison to Democrats, according to election data.

It is important to note that early voting statistics do not predict election outcomes, as they only provide basic demographic insights without revealing voter preferences. A demographic group dominating the early voting scene does not guarantee that they will have sufficient turnout on Election Day.

Campaigns encourage early voting as it allows them to secure their most reliable voters, enabling them to allocate resources towards bringing out those less inclined to vote on Election Day.

“I’ve largely viewed the idea of going back to Election Day as trying to put toothpaste back in a tube,” Snead remarked.

Officials have reported substantial early voting figures already in place. In North Carolina, nearly all of the 25 western counties impacted by Hurricane Helene have seen an increase in early in-person turnout compared to 2020.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections noted that more than 3.7 million early in-person ballots have been cast statewide, exceeding the total for all of 2020. Early in-person voting concludes Saturday afternoon across the state.

“Hurricane Helene did not stop us from voting,” declared Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director. She emphasized the civility and appreciation voters are showing amid these challenges.

In Georgia, the early turnout has been so overwhelming that state election officials predict that Election Day may resemble a “ghost town.” Trump’s influence is unmistakable, with large signs at his rallies encouraging supporters to “VOTE EARLY!” Along with this, various initiatives have been urging Republicans to cast their votes ahead of Tuesday, even recommending mail-in ballots.

One flyer sent to a Georgian voter by America PAC, backed by Elon Musk, emphasized the urgency: “This election is too important to wait! President Trump is counting on patriots like you to apply for an absentee ballot and bank your vote today.”

Tona Barnes responded to this call with a vote for the first time on Thursday in Marietta, a northern suburb of Atlanta. “He keeps putting it out there to vote early,” she shared regarding Trump’s messaging.

Convenience is a common reason for many Georgians, both Democrats and Republicans, who are taking part in early voting. Ashenafi Arega, who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, expressed his sentiment about potential long lines on Election Day: “I think on Election Day the line will be long. It will be discouraging.”

As of Wednesday, Gabe Sterling, the chief operations officer under Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, reported that Georgia had already reached two-thirds of the total turnout seen in 2020, when nearly 5 million votes were recorded.

“There’s a possibility it could be a ghost town on Election Day,” Sterling noted. “We had less than a million show up during COVID in 2020 with all the uses of pre-Election Day voting.”

In 2020, early voting patterns were quite different. During the pandemic, voters could request mail ballots online without the need for additional forms, leading to a temporary influx in early participation. Following Trump’s claims of being cheated in the election, Republican lawmakers implemented stricter regulations on voting, including limits on drop boxes and additional requirements for mail ballot requests.

These voting restrictions have led to claims of voter suppression among Democrats. However, Republicans argue that the current early turnout is evidence that these measures have not hindered voter participation.

“I think that gives the lie to this idea that having some pretty basic security measures in place somehow discourages people from voting,” asserted Josh McKoon, head of the Georgia Republican Party.

Conversely, Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, the Democratic Party of Georgia’s executive director, expresses skepticism regarding these claims and views recent conflicts over election rules as efforts by Republicans to lay groundwork for disputing potential defeats in future elections.

“There is no doubt that these folks were trying to muck up the waters a little bit to have something to point to potentially down the road,” Olasanoye said.

Republicans are likely pleased with early voting in largely GOP areas, with participation sometimes reaching approximately two-thirds of active voters. In Augusta-Richmond County, a Democratic stronghold, around 39% of registered voters have cast their ballots, while neighboring Columbia County, a Republican suburb, has seen nearly 54% voter turnout.

“From a winning and losing standpoint, the more votes I have banked by Friday, the fewer votes I have to push to the polls on Tuesday to win,” McKoon stated.

In response, Olasanoye remains confident that Harris is expanding her appeal and will be victorious. “Democrats and the vice president, we’re just doing all right,” he noted.