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Nearly half of Macon-Bibb County's registered voters have already voted

As of Friday, 33,803 people voted early and in-person in Bibb County. Chairman Mike Kaplan says the Board of Elections has received at least 18,000 absentee ballots.

MACON, Ga. — The early voting period in Georgia has closed. 

Bibb County saw the largest number of people show up Friday in its three weeks of early voting.

According to the Board of Elections, nearly 3,000 people cast their ballot in person on Friday. 

Over at the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections office, a line wrapped around part of the building.

We spoke to several voters at the Board of Elections. On average, it took most voters at that location 30 to 40 minutes from the time they got in line to the time they cast their ballot. But, it felt like less for most.

"Once I got in, it actually moved pretty quickly, so despite it being a little warm, it was flowing at least," said Donquarius Rhodes, a Bibb County voter.

To keep people hydrated, poll workers walked up and down the lines with waters.

"I'm making sure my line is healthy, happy, and hydrated. We've been waiting for a while," said Mattie Attyberry. 

After around a 30-minute wait, Keondra Sanford stuck on her Georgia peach sticker.

"It feels awesome, it feels like a relief, like my voice has been heard," Sanford said.

She says it was worth making time and voting early.

"If you can, do it, because it cuts down on the chances of you not being able to get that vote in," Sanford said.

33,803 Macon-Bibb voters cast their ballots early and in-person, according to numbers from the Board of Elections Friday Night, but Board of Election Chairman Mike Kaplan says that doesn't include the at least 18,000 absentee ballots they've received so far.

"We've already had 50,000 people vote out of... we have about 105,000 registered voters, so it's been an early turnout. Time will tell if it's a massive turnout, but it's been a massive early turnout," Kaplan said. 

So nearly half of registered voters in Macon-Bibb County have already cast their ballot. 

For those who did not vote early,  the soonest you can vote in-person is next Tuesday, on election day, beginning at 7 a.m., but Kaplan says expect to wait a little while.

"Bring a book, bring a chair, enjoy yourself, we're going to make your wait time as pleasant as possible," Kaplan said. 

If you have an absentee ballot that you haven't sent in yet, Kaplan suggests not mailing it now.

"It's too late to mail it -- and that's not on the mail system, it's taking more than 2 days to get here."

Instead, he says to drop it off at one of the two outdoor drop boxes. One is outside the Board of Elections office. The other is outside the Bibb County Courthouse on Mulberry Street. 

If you received your absentee ballot, but have since decided to vote in-person, Kaplan says all you have to do is show up with your absentee ballot on election day so poll workers can cancel it out.

Kaplan says they have a total of 5,000 outstanding absentee ballots, meaning the ballots were mailed, but the voter has not sent it in or the Board of Elections has not received it yet. 

He says the Board of Elections office will be closed on Monday so you have to drop it off at one of the outdoor drop box locations.

    

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