Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Wednesday that his office is continuing to coordinate directly with election offices in Georgia’s 159 counties ensuring election operations remain on schedule and that counties have the needed resources for a swift recovery. As it stands, Secretary Raffensperger can speak to Georgians that the physical infrastructure needed to conduct an election will be fully operational before the early in-person voting period begins.

“Election workers across Georgia had begun the pre-election testing processes of equipment and facilities to be used in the 2024 election,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “My office is working hard to make sure the election workers in the affected counties are safe, that their equipment is undamaged and secure, and that their early voting locations will be functional by the time early voting starts.”  

Poor road conditions and ongoing power outages were scattered across the southern, central and eastern portions of Georgia as of Wednesday, which was slowing evaluation procedures in some areas hardest hit by the storm, which roared ashore in Florida as a strong Category 4 hurricane in Florida before moving swiftly into Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), linemen from Georgia Power and other utilities, all the state and local first responders and legions of citizen volunteers and faith-based organizations are doing a great job at getting people fed, housed, and back on their feet,” said Raffensperger. “But this was a massive and deadly storm and recovery is likely to take a while. We applaud Governor Kemp for prioritizing the response.”

Raffensperger added that any counties having to relocate early voting locations will notify voters through the My Voter Page portal and local radio, television, and social media outlets.

“We have to let the first responders finish doing their jobs, but as power is restored and voting locations can be assessed, we will make sure that the upcoming election is safe, secure and convenient for all Georgia voters,” he said.

Georgians will have three weeks of in person early voting as well as election day to cast their vote. Any voter whose absentee ballot has not been received and accepted by the county elections office may still vote in person.