COLUMBUS, Ga. - Muscogee County has recorded 25,626 early votes ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, putting turnout about 1% behind the same point in 2022. That is 256 fewer voters than the 25,882 who had cast ballots at this stage four years ago. With five days of in-person early voting remaining, Muscogee is trailing its previous pace while statewide early voting is running about 7% higher.

The county's early vote total represents 18.1% of its 141,231 registered voters, according to GeorgiaVotes.com data updated at 6:04 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Of those who have already voted, 23,446 cast ballots in person and 2,180 voted by mail. The figures provide a snapshot of voting activity before the final week of early voting, which ends Friday, Oct. 30.

GeorgiaVotes.com is an independent website operated by Atlanta engineer Ryan Anderson that organizes public absentee voter files from the Georgia Secretary of State. The website says it is not affiliated with the Secretary of State's office. Its figures change as additional voting records become available, and the next update will follow Monday's voting.

Muscogee Trails While Statewide Voting Runs Higher

Across Georgia, 1,751,157 people had already voted as of the latest reporting period, compared with 1,643,449 at the same point in 2022. That represents an increase of about 7% statewide, with 1,669,564 ballots cast early in person and another 81,593 submitted by mail. Muscogee County's roughly 1% decline stands in contrast to that statewide increase.

The difference also appears when comparing Muscogee with other Georgia counties that include major cities. Bibb County, home to Macon, has recorded an 8% increase, while Richmond County, home to Augusta, is up 18%. Chatham County, home to Savannah, has seen a 12% increase compared with the same point in 2022.

Among the big-city counties included in the comparison, Muscogee is the only one running behind its 2022 early voting pace. Richmond County has recorded 25,125 early ballots, slightly fewer than Muscogee's 25,626, but its total is substantially higher than the 21,378 recorded at the same point in 2022. Bibb County has increased from 20,449 to 22,057, while Chatham has risen from 36,437 to 40,822.

Closer to Columbus, neighboring counties have produced mixed results. Harris County has recorded 5,997 early votes, compared with 5,873 four years ago, while Chattahoochee County has increased from 373 to 386. Talbot County has moved in the opposite direction, falling from 982 early votes in 2022 to 871 this year.

Older Voters Account for Nearly Half of Early Ballots

Voters age 65 and older make up the largest share of Muscogee County's early electorate, with 12,421 ballots cast so far. That age group accounts for 48.5% of all early voters, followed by residents ages 50 to 64, who have cast 6,973 ballots. Together, those two groups represent more than three-quarters of the county's early voting total.

Younger voters account for smaller shares of the ballots recorded so far. Residents ages 18 to 29 have cast 1,847 ballots, representing 7.2%, while those ages 30 to 39 have cast 1,775, or 6.9%. Voters ages 40 to 49 account for another 2,599 ballots, representing 10.1%.

Women have also cast substantially more early ballots than men in Muscogee County. According to the voter records, 15,178 women have voted early, representing 59.2% of the total, compared with 10,409 men, or 40.6%. Gender information is listed as unknown for 39 voters.

Black voters account for 14,315 early ballots, representing 55.9% of the county's total. White voters have cast 8,835 ballots, or 34.5%, while Hispanic voters account for 595 and Asian voters account for 383. Another 1,498 voters are classified under other racial categories in the records.

Nearly 18% Did Not Vote in the 2022 General Election

The voting history data shows that most of Muscogee County's early voters also participated in the 2022 general election. A total of 18,549, representing 72.4% of this year's early voters, also voted early four years ago. Another 2,554, or 10%, voted on Election Day in 2022 rather than casting an early ballot.

The remaining 4,523 early voters, representing 17.7%, did not vote in the 2022 general election. That category reflects their recorded participation in the previous election, not a prediction about their preferences or future voting behavior. The figures show how this year's early electorate compares with voters who participated four years earlier.

Muscogee County has 202,171 residents and ranks as Georgia's 12th most populous county among the state's 159 counties. Its 141,231 registered voters also place it 12th statewide in voter registration. The 25,626 ballots cast so far represent slightly more than 18% of that registered voter population.

What to Know Before You Vote

Georgia's in-person early voting period for the Nov. 3 general election ends Friday, Oct. 30, under O.C.G.A. 21-2-385. That leaves Monday through Friday for voters who still plan to cast an early ballot in person. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Georgia polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office directs voters to the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page for election information. Voters can use that resource to find early voting locations, identify their Election Day polling place, view a sample ballot and check their mail ballot status. The county elections website, columbusga.gov/elections, also provides election information and a "2026 Constitutional Summaries" booklet covering the statewide constitutional amendments on the ballot.

Georgia requires voters to present acceptable photo identification when voting in person under O.C.G.A. 21-2-417. Accepted identification includes a Georgia driver's license, even if expired, a valid state or federal government photo ID, a qualifying government employee photo ID, a valid U.S. passport, a valid U.S. military photo ID or a valid tribal photo ID. The Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office also provides a free Georgia voter ID card.

The county has also released information about the handling of ballots on Election Day. According to its public notice, early tabulation of absentee ballots will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, while advance voting ballots will be tabulated at the City Services Center that day. The process is open to the public, and observers will be sequestered until polls close.

Five Days Remain Before Early Voting Ends

The final five days of early voting will add to the totals already recorded in Muscogee County and throughout Georgia. Muscogee's current count remains 256 votes below the comparable 2022 figure, even as statewide participation exceeds its previous pace. Those numbers describe voting activity through the latest update and do not establish what the final turnout will be.

The next GeorgiaVotes.com update following Monday's voting will provide another comparison with the 2022 election. In-person early voting remains available through Friday, Oct. 30, followed by Election Day on Nov. 3. For voters who have not yet participated, the county elections office and the Secretary of State's My Voter Page provide the information needed to find voting locations and review ballot details.

How We Did This

The Columbus Times used GeorgiaVotes.com data last updated at 6:04 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, to examine early voting totals, voter demographics, voting history and comparisons with the 2022 general election. GeorgiaVotes.com is independently operated by Ryan Anderson and organizes public absentee voter files from the Georgia Secretary of State. We also used information from the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office website, checked Oct. 25, and Georgia law, including O.C.G.A. 21-2-385 and O.C.G.A. 21-2-417, for voting dates and identification requirements.