Early in-person voting began in Georgia on Tuesday, marking some of the earliest votes cast in the U.S. for the 2024 presidential election.
Early in-person voting will be available in the state for at least 16 days and in some cases for as long as three weeks. Certain counties will also accept votes on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Voting begins as a Georgia judge ruled Tuesday that election officials are required to certify the state's votes by 5p.m. on the Tuesday following the election. The ruling means that officials are not permitted to exclude any votes even if they suspect election fraud or other errors.
"No election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance," the judge wrote.
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The ruling adds clarity to how Georgia handles its election results, which has seen multiple rule changes ahead of Nov. 5.
In August, the Georgia State Elections Board ruled that counties were required to make a "reasonable inquiry" into the accuracy of results. Proponents say this is so officials can be confident in the accuracy of results — but critics allege the rule would give partisan election board members the ability to stall results.
In September, the Georgia State Election Board also passed a rule that requires counties to hand-count all ballots. Democrats filed a lawsuit against the change, alleging it ran foul of Georgia law and would introduce unnecessary delays.
