In photos: Georgia reports record turnout as early in-person voting begins

There were long lines of voters into the night in Georgia, as officials reported a record 126,876 people cast their ballots after early in-person voting for the general election opened Monday.

The big picture: There were reports of some voting system technical glitches, but officials told the New York Times hours-long waits were mainly down to the large turnout, with many voters off work for Columbus Day in the battleground state — which President Trump won by 5 percentage points in 2016. Georgians are also casting their votes in two Senate races.

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Night has fallen, but voting lines continue in Marietta, Georgia. The @WCKitchen team just finished serving dinner. They met someone walking out who arrived at 8am — he waited 12 hours to vote today. We must do better! Until then, #ChefsForThePolls will try to keep everyone fed. pic.twitter.com/RcnG8BFSWW

— Nate Mook (@natemook) October 13, 2020

Voters wait in line at the C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center. A "record 7.6 million Georgians registered to vote," for this election, WABE reports.

A socially distanced line at the recreation center. Early voting in Georgia runs until Oct. 30. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

A line at the center. A spokesperson for the Georgia Secretary of State's office told CNN the turnout is down to election "enthusiasm," stressing there are three weeks of early voting and that absentee ballots are an option. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Voters cast their ballots inside State Farm Arena. American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia executive director Andrea Young told the NYT, "People are very energized. Georgia this year is a place where your vote matters." Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

Go deeper: When and how to vote in all 50 states