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Recap of week 1 of early voting in Bibb County

One week of early voting in Georgia is complete, and the number of people lining up to vote are making history so far.

MACON, Ga. — Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says Georgia broke early voting records in just one week. 

"Georgia voters are excited, and setting records every hour, and this is all during a pandemic," he said.

Here in Bibb County, the same rang true as some voters say they experienced long wait times.

Reagan Dunn said she waited more than two hours at the Pio Nono Avenue early voting location. 

RELATED: LIST | Central Georgia early voting locations by county

"Since 11:20 and right now it's 1:10, so we're about to hit two hours," she said.

In the first day alone, more than 1,700 people voted in person in the county. That's spread across three early voting locations, which is new for Macon-Bibb County.

"We didn't have these polling places three weeks ago, so in three weeks, we put these polling places together. Thank goodness we didn't. I can't imagine the line at Pio Nono Avenue if we didn't have these other two locations," Board of Elections chairman Mike Kaplan said.

According to numbers from the Board of Elections, the most people still showed up to the main Pio Nono Avenue office to vote, but there was a steady increase at both the Elaine Lucas Senior Center and Theron Ussery Recreation Center over the week.

People responded well to the sites of the new locations.

"We live, what, a mile and a half, two miles away really. Much closer, much more accessible," Sean McMahon said.

McMahon is a first-time voter who voted at the Theron Ussery Recreation Center.

After one week, there were a total of more than 9,300 voters in Macon Bibb County, which Kaplan says is a record. They're prepared to handle the same amount each week leading up to Nov. 3.

Early voting continues Monday through Friday this week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and this coming Saturday, October 24.

   

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