Georgia midterm election 2026: Early voting begins for governor, Senate and statewide races

Early voting for Georgia's midterm election begins Tuesday, with races for governor, U.S. Senate, secretary of state and attorney general on the ballot.

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms faces Republican Rick Jackson in the governor's race. Republican Mike Collins is challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Andra Gillespie, an Emory University political scientist, said the Senate race could help determine which party controls Congress.

"Control of Congress is what's most at stake, and that's really important," Gillespie said.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats would need to retain their current seats and gain four more to take control of the chamber.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State's office, more than 2 million people voted in the May primary, representing about 28% of the state's active voters.

Gillespie said strong opinions about the direction of government could drive participation in November.

"Turnout in midterm elections tends to be lower than it is in presidential election years. But this may be a year where compared to other midterm election years, we see pretty robust turnout levels because people have some very strong opinions about what is happening in our government," Gillespie said.

Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30, and includes Saturday voting on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Hours and locations vary, so voters should check their county's schedule before heading out. 

Voters must be registered to participate. They can check their registration status and voting information on the state's My Voter Page.