Politically Georgia: Donald Trump embraces early voting as turnout in Georgia soars

Today’s newsletter highlights include:

Gov. Brian Kemp launches digital ads encouraging voter turnout.
Georgia voters broke the first day early voting turnout record with hours to spare.
Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade speaks in closed-door congressional hearing.

The digital sign hanging over Donald Trump’s rally in Cobb County on Tuesday featured four words that showed why early voting in Georgia could continue to soar: “Too big to rig.”

The message played into Trump’s continued attempts to spread falsehoods about widespread voting fraud in the 2020 election. But it also served as another sign of the GOP’s embrace of early voting in Georgia.

More than 300,000 people took advantage of the first day of the early voting period on Tuesday, shattering previous records. And while many Democratic strongholds reported heavy turnout, so, too, did Republican-leaning precincts in the exurban and rural areas.

“They’re turning out in all the right places,” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said.

It’s far too early to tell whether the early voting is the first glimpse of a sustained surge of support for either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, or if it just marks the continuation of a shift away from Election Day voting.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

After all, roughly two-thirds of likely Georgia voters — including a sizable chunk of Republicans — indicated in the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll they planned to cast their ballots early.

But if the pattern continues, it could cement a remarkable GOP shift toward a practice that Trump and his allies long ridiculed, without evidence, as a vehicle for mass fraud and deceit.

Trump’s campaign now frequently uses the phrase “make your plan to vote” — a catchphrase Georgians may remember from top Democrats throughout the 2020 race. Stacey Abrams even made a how-to guide that ended with a similar mantra.

Senior state Republicans have made no apologies about the shift. They play up the strategic value of banking votes early.

Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon said the more voters who cast their ballots before Nov. 5, the more the party can spend limited time and resources mobilizing Republican-leaning Georgians who don’t regularly vote.

“Putting all of our eggs in the Election Day basket would be like if I was UGA’s head football coach and I was to say, ‘We’re not going to play offense for the first three quarters and then try to knock it out in the fourth quarter,’” he said.

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GOOD MORNING. We’re 20 days away from the presidential election. Here are three things to know for today:

A state judge on Tuesday ruled county election boards cannot refuse to finalize election results based on suspicions of miscounts or fraud. He also struck down a new rule that would require a hand count of ballots on election night, the AJC’s Mark Niesse reports.
Former President Donald Trump’s Cobb County rally on Tuesday showed how some Georgia Republicans are jockeying for his endorsement for 2026.
Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver, an Atlanta resident, voted for himself on Tuesday, per the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman.

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KEMP JOINS THE FRAY. You’ll likely see Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on your phone over the next three weeks as the Republican has cut four digital ads encouraging people to vote.

Kemp doesn’t mention former President Donald Trump’s name in any of those ads. He doesn’t tell you who to vote for in three of them. The closest he comes is an ad titled “Save our Country,” which begins with Kemp saying: “Democrats in Washington have made life in America harder.”

“Your vote in this election can stop this insanity and save America,” Kemp says.

But it’s up to you to figure out who he’s talking about.

Still, as Greg Bluestein writes, the ads are significant as they represent the first steps by Kemp’s vaunted political network to help Trump:

“Previously, Kemp-backed groups were mostly focused on a handful of down-ticket legislative races on the November ballot, and it was unclear whether he would redirect their focus after Trump unleashed a 10-minute tirade targeting the governor and his wife, Marty, at an Aug. 3 rally. The two have since declared a truce, and they reconciled in person earlier this month in Augusta."

The biggest benefit likely won’t be on the airwaves. A $1 million donation from GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson to a Kemp-aligned PAC will go to “get out the vote efforts.” Trump is relying mostly on outside groups to turnout GOP voters, while Vice President Kamala Harris has a more traditional approach with lots of paid staffers in offices throughout the state.

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Credit: John Spink/AJC

BLOWOUT. It didn’t take long for Georgia to shatter its record for ballots cast on the first day of early voting.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday. By 1 p.m., more than 154,500 people had voted. The previous record for the first day of early voting had been 136,000 in the 2020 presidential election.

By the end of the day, more than 300,000 people had voted, the AJC’s David Wickert reported.

State election officials took a victory lap, claiming the massive total validated a 2021 Republican-passed election law that, at the time, President Joe Biden called “Jim Crow 2.0.” Much of that law has been upheld in the courts, although some parts of it were temporarily blocked.

“For those that claimed Georgia election laws were Jim Crow 2.0 and those that say democracy is dying … the voters of Georgia would like to have a word,” Gabriel Sterling, the secretary of state’s chief operating officer, posted on X.

The fallout from that 2021 law seems to have dissipated, too. Major League Baseball pulled its All-Star game from Atlanta that year in protest. But the city will host the game next year.

Meanwhile, the NFL announced Tuesday that Atlanta would host Super Bowl LXII in 2028.

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Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC

WAS EARLY VOTING A ‘PLEASURE’? State election officials appeared giddy about the record-setting turnout on the first day of early voting. But they were also excited about the few long lines reported.

That’s been a point of emphasis for Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who said he has taken inspiration from an unlikely source.

“We watch what Chick-fil-A has done over the years and how they managed their lines, and we think someone needed to do that in the election space,” he said.

Raffensperger has focused much of his term on winning over skeptical voters who question election results. That’s been a stressful job at times.

“I think elections should be fun again,” he said. “I know at the end of the day, half of you are going to like the results and the other half aren’t. But let’s enjoy the process.”

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Credit: TNS

WADE SPEAKS. Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade on Tuesday defended his work investigating Donald Trump, telling a congressional panel that Georgia’s criminal case against the former president and his allies was driven by facts and not politics.

Wade, who had been subpoenaed by the GOP-led U.S. House Judiciary Committee, read aloud a three-page opening statement to begin the sworn deposition in a closed-door hearing, and said he was appearing before the committee voluntarily.

He told the committee staff members present that he was part of a team that investigated efforts to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 election for more than two years and that he did so with integrity and by seeking the truth.

“The case was not politically motivated,” he said, according to the prepared remarks. “Rather, it was an independent investigation based upon facts, interviews, evidence and the rule of law.”

Wade in his opening statement also pushed back against reporting that he evaded service of the subpoena, saying he “voluntarily reached out” to the U.S. Marshals Service to suggest a time and place to meet “immediately upon being made aware through false, inflammatory media reports, of Congress’ attempts to serve me.”

We have our first break for Nathan Wade as he faces questions from the House Judiciary Committee. Attorney Barnes didn’t answer questions here but later told us that they are answering questions and cooperating. pic.twitter.com/9ZRdeqjdzn
— Tia Mitchell, AJC’s Washington Correspondent (@ajconwashington) October 15, 2024

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

GEORGIA 2026. We’re still knee-deep in the 2024 cycle, but it’s time to start paying closer attention to the fundraising hauls of 2026 candidates. Starting with U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

The first-term Democrat, who first proved his cash-raising prowess in his 2017 bid for a suburban U.S. House seat, reported nearly $3.9 million cash on hand in his latest financial disclosure.

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ANTE UP. Don’t be surprised by a renewed push in the state Legislature next year to legalize sports betting following Tuesday’s news that Atlanta landed the NFL’s Super Bowl in 2028.

We’ve already heard from a few supporters who cited an estimate that nearly 68 million U.S. adults bet $23 billion on this year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

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OYEZ, OYEZ, OYEZ. The Georgia Supreme Court issued a bunch of opinions on Tuesday. Notable decisions include:

Burns v. The State. A man convicted of aggravated assault and other crimes asked for a new trial because, while the man was in jail, authorities listened to recorded phone calls between him and his lawyer. The court ruled this did not violate attorney-client privilege, because the conversations were about scheduling matters, not legal advice. Justices Carla Wong McMillian and Sarah Hawkins Warren dissented, saying they had “serious doubts” that the man’s rights were not violated.
Wallace v. The State. A man convicted of murder said he deserved a new trial, in part, because he was forced to wear a leg iron during his first trial. The court ruled against him, noting, among other things, that the leg iron was not visible to the jury. Still, Chief Justice Michael Boggs wrote: “we urge trial courts not to mistake our ruling today as an endorsement of shackling criminal defendants as a routine matter. We are gravely concerned by the possibility of such a practice among Georgia trial courts.”

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia‚” GOP national spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko joins the show to talk about former President Donald Trump’s Georgia town hall. Plus, the AJC’s Mark Niesse talks about the State Election Board.

Be sure to download the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.

On Tuesday’s show, the AJC’s Greg Bluestein interviewed Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. Plus, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island joined the show.

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PROGRAMMING NOTE. Our pal Martha Zoller, a regular panelist on the FOX 5 weekly public affairs show “The Georgia Gang,” will bring the hosts to her WDUN radio show today.

Fellow Georgia Gang panelists Tharon Johnson and Phil Kent, along with host Lori Geary, will be on “The Martha Zoller Show.” The show airs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. Today’s happenings:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, will campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris in Warner Robins and Macon.
Harris will hold a campaign rally in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
U.S. Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, will speak at rallies in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, wife of Harris’ running mate — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — and former Georgia state Sen. Jen Jordan will headline a rally and canvassing event in Cobb County supporting Harris.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, will encourage early voting at a Harris campaign event in Atlanta.

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