ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The television ads have gone silent, the rallies are over, and the voting has begun.

Polling precincts opened across Georgia at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning as a record-breaking midterm campaign finally shifted into the hands of everyday voters.

Full election results

Now, after weeks of massive early voting totals and a blitz of national campaign stops, the Peach State steps squarely into the country’s political spotlight to decide the direction of state government and the balance of power in Washington.

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7:40 p.m. | Rep. Hank Johnson (D) has won reelection in Georgia’s 4th congressional district, according to AP.

7:34 p.m. | Rep. Lucy McBath (D) has won reelection in Georgia’s 6th congressional district, according to AP.

7:29 p.m. | Dr. Jasmine Clark (D) has won Georgia’s 13th congressional district, according to AP.

7:29 p.m. | Rep. Nikema Williams (D) has won reelection in Georgia’s 5th congressional district, according to AP.

7:15 p.m. | The first batch of election results have started to pour in.

7 p.m. | Most polls have closed across Georgia.

5:15 p.m. | The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office gave an update on Election Day late Tuesday afternoon.

5:00 p.m. | More than 1 million Georgians have voted on Election Day, according to the secretary of state’s office.

4:09 p.m. | A voting extension for Rockbridge Elementary School in Gwinnett County has been granted. Voters for that precinct have until 7:07 p.m. to cast a ballot.

2:45 p.m. | In his second Election Day update, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said more than 775,000 Georgians have voted. Right now, the average wait time across the state is less than five minutes.

Raffensperger also said Rockbridge Elementary School in Gwinnett County closed for seven minutes due to a school safety drill. A judge will decide if the location should stay open past 7 p.m.

Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss also appeared at the news conference. The two said they are working with former Gov. Roy Barnes and former Rep. Drew Ferguson to oversee and counsel the Secretary of State’s Office.

“We come together because we care about the future of the state. We come together because we believe that democracy matters, and democracy is stronger when everyone is involved,” Jackson said. “The past is the past. The present now? We’re on the right track.”

Chambliss acknowledged questions about Georgia’s voting process, but said polling continues to rise for both Republicans and Democrats, indicating to him that they trust their votes will count.

“It has been a pleasure to find out things are working,” he said.

1:30 p.m. | Around 650,000 voters have cast their ballots.

12:00 p.m. | More than 500,000 Georgians have cast their ballots on Election Day, the Secretary of State’s Office says. That brings the total number of votes up to about 3.3 million, if you count early voting.

11:20 a.m. | Fulton County government officials are warning voters of text message scams on Election Day.

In a social media post, the government said residents have reported texts about polling place changes. Those messages weren’t sent by Fulton County.

To verify your polling place, you can visit your Georgia My Voter page or call 404-612-7030.

10 a.m. | In his first Election Day update, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said more than 300,000 Georgians have voted on Tuesday so far. His office expects more than 1 million votes by the end of the day.

Statewide, only one polling location opened late, according to Raffensperger. The Mitchell County facility opened its doors 10 minutes behind schedule.

Raffensperger also said about 1,000 early voting ballots will be re-scanned after equipment was taken out of service due to errors. He said it won’t delay any race results.

In an email to the Secretary of State’s Office, Fulton County Director of Registration and Elections Nadine Williams said two scanners experienced equipment failures.

The first was on Oct. 21 at the Mechanicsville Library, when a wheelchair user accidentally rolled over a power cable, causing the scanner to shut down. That incident impacted 361 ballots.

The second happened at the Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center on Oct. 26, when a scanner showed a paper jam error despite there being no jam. According to Williams, 708 ballots were cast on that scanner.

Read the full email:

9:20 a.m. | In a one-on-one interview with Atlanta News First Tuesday morning, Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is trying to hold his seat against Republican Mike Collins, encouraged the public to go out and vote.

“Look, this is what citizenship is all about. And the reason that we’re seeing this record-breaking turnout in early voting and the reason we expect record-breaking turnout today is because there is such a need for change in this country,” he said.

8:05 a.m. | Lines are starting to form outside polling places — including in Forsyth County, where Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson could be seen casting his ballot.

“I’m leaving it up to God,” he told Atlanta News First after voting. “...My purpose in life is for kingdom impact and to help the least of these, and no matter what happens tomorrow, that’s what I’ll be doing first thing tomorrow.”

7 a.m. | Polls are now open! Don’t know where yours is? Visit mvp.sos.ga.gov to find out. You have until 7 p.m. to cast your ballot

Photo gallery

What to know about Georgia’s voting rules, machine security, and how votes are counted

High-stakes clash for U.S. Senate

Leading the ballot is a marquee national contest: Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s reelection bid against Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Mike Collins.

The race represents one of the narrowest battlegrounds on the national map. Ossoff, aiming to secure a second term, has based his closing pitch on blocking far-right extremism, pointing directly to Collins’ fierce alliance with President Donald Trump.

Collins, an outspoken conservative and sponsor of the federal Laken Riley Act, spent the closing stretch rallying alongside Trump in rural Georgia, urging conservative voters to reject what he characterized as a radical, Washington-centric agenda.

Crossroads in the race for governor

Voters will also choose Georgia’s next chief executive in a contrasting, tightly fought contest between Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson.

Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, would become the first Black female governor in U.S. history if elected. Her platform emphasizes public education funding, civil rights protections, and economic relief for working families, while highlighting Jackson’s promises to align his administration closely with Trump.

Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive who clinched the GOP nod after an intense summer runoff, has promised a business-first approach: eliminating state income taxes, placing a cap on rising property assessments, and tackling hospital costs, while labeling his opponent’s record in city hall as ineffective.

What voters need to know

• Hours: Polls are open until 7 p.m. State law guarantees that anyone waiting in line before the 7 p.m. cutoff has the legal right to cast a ballot.
• Where to go: Unlike the flexible rules of early voting, Tuesday voters must cast ballots at their assigned local precinct. Voters can verify their specific polling site at mvp.sos.ga.gov.
• ID Requirements: Georgia voters must show a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license (even if expired), state-issued voter card, U.S. passport, or government employee badge.
• Absentee Ballots: Do not mail absentee ballots today — they will not arrive in time. Completed mail-in ballots must be physically handed in at your county registrar’s office before 7 p.m. Voters wishing to switch to in-person voting can bring their uncast mail ballot to their precinct to be canceled.

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