3,466 people in Columbus had already voted in the Nov. 3 general election after the first day of early voting, Tuesday, Oct. 13. That's 3,203 people who voted in person plus 263 mail ballots already accepted, according to the Secretary of State's early voting files as compiled by Georgia Votes.

Statewide, it was a record. More than 188,600 Georgians voted in person on the first day, the most ever for a midterm election and 40% more than the first day in 2022, the Secretary of State's office said.

Early voting in Columbus runs through Friday, Oct. 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here's who's voting so far, how Columbus compares, and where you can still vote.

We'll update these numbers each week until early voting ends.

Columbus after day one

That last line is the one to watch. In the 2022 midterm, roughly 60,000 Muscogee County voters cast ballots early, in person or by mail. After a single day this year, Columbus had already reached 5.8% of that total.

Georgia's first day: a midterm record

On top of in-person votes, 10,267 mail ballots had been accepted statewide, the Secretary of State's office said.

"This record-breaking turnout proves that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections," Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement.

Columbus cast about 1.7% of all the ballots in Georgia on the first day.

How Columbus compares

Columbus started out ahead of most of Georgia's other mid-sized cities. Here's each county's vote so far as a share of its total 2022 early vote:

By that measure, Columbus is keeping pace with Atlanta and ahead of Macon, Augusta, Savannah and Athens.

Who's voting early in Columbus

These numbers come from the state's voter file, which lists each voter's age, race and gender. Nobody knows how anyone voted. Georgia doesn't register voters by party, and ballots are secret.

By age: older voters are leading the way

More than half of Columbus's early voters so far are 65 or older. Voters under 40 make up fewer than 1 in 10. That's typical for the first days of early voting, when retirees with flexible schedules turn out. Younger voters often vote later in the period or on Election Day.

By race

By gender: women have cast 54.5% of the ballots so far, and men 44.6%.

Repeat voters vs. new voters

• 80.4% of Columbus's early voters also voted early in 2022.
• 6.1% voted on Election Day in 2022 and switched to early voting this year.
• 13.5%, or 467 people, didn't vote in the 2022 general election at all.

Columbus vs. Georgia: how the early electorate compares

Columbus's early voters so far look a lot like Georgia's in age and habits, and different in race:

In both Columbus and the state, about 4 in 5 first-day voters are people who also voted early four years ago. Early voting has become a habit for Georgia's most reliable voters. The bigger question for the next two and a half weeks is how many new and occasional voters join them.

Turnout by district

Columbus voters also pick a state senator, a state representative and a member of Congress. Here's how each district that includes part of Columbus is doing, measured against its own 2022 early vote:

Georgia Senate

Georgia House

U.S. House

What stands out:

• House District 141, represented by House Democratic Leader Carolyn Hugley, is off to the fastest start of any Columbus-area House district, at 8.0% of its 2022 early vote after one day.
• Senate District 15, where longtime Sen. Ed Harbison is retiring, is running well ahead of neighboring District 29.
• Several of these districts reach beyond Columbus. Senate District 15 covers six other counties, and House Districts 137, 138 and 139 include parts of Harris, Meriwether, Talbot or Troup counties. So these totals include some voters outside Muscogee County.

The mail-ballot gap

6,181 Muscogee County voters have asked for a mail ballot so far, but only 263 of those ballots, about 4%, have been returned and accepted.

That's normal this early, since many voters haven't received their ballots yet. But there's a firm deadline. Your mail ballot must be received, not just postmarked, by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. The safest options:

• Mail it at least a week before the election.
• Or drop it off at the City Services Center drop box, 3111 Citizens Way, which is available only during early voting hours and closes at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

The last day to request a mail ballot is Friday, Oct. 23.

What to watch between now and Oct. 30

• Saturday, Oct. 17: the first of two Saturday voting days. It's a chance for people who work weekdays to vote early.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: the second Saturday, and the day Valley Healthcare and Blackmon Road open as early voting sites, bringing Columbus to five sites.
• Oct. 26–30: the final week, when lines usually get longest.
• Our next update: the week of Oct. 19, with Columbus's totals after the first full week.

Your early voting questions, answered

Can I vote at any early voting site?
Yes. During early voting, any Muscogee County voter can use any of the county's early voting sites. On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned precinct.

What ID do I need?
A photo ID. A Georgia driver's license works even if it's expired. A U.S. passport, military ID, tribal ID, or federal, state or local government employee photo ID also works.

I don't have a photo ID. Can I still vote?
Yes. Georgia issues a free voter ID card. Get one at the Muscogee County Elections & Registration Office, 3111 Citizens Way. Bring a document showing your full legal name and date of birth, proof that you're registered to vote, and something showing your name and home address.

How do I know I'm registered, and what's on my ballot?
Visit Georgia's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov to check your registration, see your sample ballot and track a mail ballot.

Is it too late to register?
Yes, for this election. The registration deadline was Oct. 5.

Who do I call with questions?
Muscogee County Elections & Registration, 706-653-4392, or visit columbusga.gov/elections.

What's on the ballot

The Nov. 3 ballot covers state and federal offices: U.S. Senate (Jon Ossoff vs. Mike Collins), governor (Keisha Lance Bottoms vs. Rick Jackson), Congress, the Georgia Legislature, the Public Service Commission races that affect your Georgia Power bill, and three proposed constitutional amendments at the bottom of the ballot.

• Every race, in plain English: Your Nov. 3 Ballot in Muscogee County
• The 3 amendments: Georgia's 3 Amendments: Which Will Pass, Who's Against Them, and What Happens If They Fail

Where and when to vote early in Columbus

You can vote at any early voting site in Muscogee County, no matter where you live in the county. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Open now through Oct. 30:

Open the final week only (Oct. 24–30):

Saturday voting: Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Call the elections office at 706-653-4392 to confirm Saturday hours before you go.

Bring a photo ID. A Georgia driver's license works even if it's expired. So do a U.S. passport, a military ID, or a government employee ID. If you don't have one, the elections office at 3111 Citizens Way issues a free voter ID card.

Voting by mail? The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Your completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. There's a drop box at the City Services Center during early voting hours only.

Tip: Lines are usually longest on the first day and the last few days. Mid-week, mid-morning is often quickest.

Check your registration and sample ballot: mvp.sos.ga.gov

How we got these numbers: Statewide first-day totals come from the Georgia Secretary of State's Oct. 14 announcement. Muscogee County figures come from Georgia Votes, an independent site that organizes the Secretary of State's daily absentee and early voting files, updated the morning of Oct. 14. A ballot is counted once the state shows it as accepted. "Share of its 2022 early vote" compares each county's ballots so far with its total early vote, in person and by mail, in the 2022 midterm.

Voted early? Tell us how long you waited at columbustimes.com/contact.