- Title: Inside a tiny Georgia town where most people have already voted
- Date: 1st November 2024
- Summary: HIAWASSEE, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 1, 2024) (Reuters) VARIOUS OF TOWNS COUNTY SIGN, CAMPAIGN SIGNS CAMPAIGN SIGN FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL TICKET DONALD TRUMP AND J.D. VANCE VARIOUS OF VOTER CASTING BALLOT PARTITION WITH GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRUMP VOTER, SARAH HAYWOOD, 79, SAYING: “I’m 79 years old it's the first time I've ever voted in a presidential election and I voted for Trump (JOURNALIST ASKING: “And why?”) Because he's one for the job. He's the only one for the job.” VARIOUS OF VOTERS CASTING BALLOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRUMP VOTER, HANNAH BURGESS, SAYING” “I feel like it's important that we early vote because it shows that we are here, we are wanting to get our voices out there as as soon as possible to show that we are serious about who's going to get in because of everything that's been going on for the last four years. It’s just been really scary.” VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF BOARD OF ELECTIONS REGISTRATION OFFICE ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR, RACHEL EDWARDS DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR, RACHEL EDWARDS, SAYING: “It's been very busy. Day one, we had the lobby here behind me. It was standing room-only, very little parking space left, trying to get people processed in.” ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR, RACHEL EDWARDS DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR, RACHEL EDWARDS, SAYING: “Very proud, very proud that the voters are taking this election serious and doing their civic duty and proud of the poll workers.” DRONE SHOT SHOWING TRUMP-VANCE BILLBOARD / SKYLINE OF HIAWASSEE (MUTE) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OVER WATER IN HIAWASSEE (MUTE) DRONE SHOT SHOWING TRUMP-VANCE BILLBOARD (MUTE) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF TRAFFIC GOING TO AND FROM HIAWASSEE (MUTE) YOUNG HARRIS, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 1, 2024) (Reuters) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF TOWNS COUNTY REPUBLICAN OFFICE PICTURE OF DONALD TRUMP CHAIR OF TOWNS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY, BETSY YOUNG, DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF TOWNS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY, BETSY YOUNG, SAYING: “Towns County people have shown out and I think a lot of people have, even recently if they look at their their checkbook or they look at how many groceries come out of bag of groceries out of Ingles (grocery store). They're voting that, they're voting that we had some people come in and say ‘I just can't vote for that person or that person’ and I said ‘Well, don't vote for them, vote for their policy. Because that's what you're going to have to live with.” VARIOUS OF TRUMP HATS ON A WHITE CHRISTMAS TREE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF TOWNS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY, BETSY YOUNG, SAYING: “Early voting for this go round, I think we we don't start out with the deficit which we always have and we've had to catch up and catch up is not a good thing.” VARIOUS OF TRUMP SIGNAGE ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF TOWNS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY, BETSY YOUNG, SAYING: “I really do, I think it's going to be a blowout, I really do, I think that it’s, as he (Trump) said, ‘too big to rig’. That's what he's been pushing and that's what we're pushing to make it too big for somebody to change things and I pray to God that's the case.” HIAWASSEE, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 1, 2024) (Reuters) VARIOUS OF POLL OBSERVERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRUMP VOTER CRYSTAL VESELY, SAYING: “I’m hoping that if we make a big enough sound, a big enough impact, that it will make it difficult if they are trying to rig it for them to rig it. So really I'm just trying to just make a big impact and that's why I've been trying to get all of my friends, everyone in my family, trying to get them all to come and vote. VARIOUS OF EARLY VOTING
- Embargoed: 15th November 2024 22:48
- Keywords: Georgia Harris Towns Trump early voting election turnout
- Location: HIAWASSEE AND YOUNG HARRIS, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
- City: HIAWASSEE AND YOUNG HARRIS, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001655401112024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:On the last day of early voting in the swing state of Georgia, officials say that more than half of voters have already cast a ballot, but in some places its far more.
In the tiny Towns County, nestled in picturesque hills in fall colours in the far north of the state, more than 70 percent of its 12,000 registered voters have already voted - which may turn out to be good news for Republican Donald Trump.
In 2020 they backed Trump 80.1 percent over Joe Biden, who ultimately won the state, and local Republicans are hoping that a strong early turnout is a sign that a victory in Georgia will send him back to the White House.
Sarah Haywood, 79, said she had never voted in a presidential election in her life - but that the prospect of a victory by Democrat Kamala Harris had driven her to the polls.
“He's one for the job. He's the only one for the job,” she said.
Outside the local Republican Party office stands a cardboard cutout of Trump and inside a collection of his campaign caps decorate a revolving Christmas Tree.
Local party chairwoman Betsy Young said that locals bring up fears about the economy in conversations with her, saying she was convinced Trump would win.
“I think it's going to be a blowout, I really do,” she said.
The latest polls in Georgia show a tight race within the margin of error, though some with a slight advantage for Trump.
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