Georgia saw an unprecedented number of voters as it initiated early voting for the upcoming presidential election on November 5, featuring Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, according to state authorities on Tuesday.

As of 4 p.m. EDT, over 252,000 voters had already cast their votes at early-voting locations, nearly twice the 136,000 who voted on the first day of early voting in 2020, stated Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s second-highest election official. He referred to the turnout as “remarkable” on social media.

Early voting, whether in person or via mail, has gained popularity among American voters. In the 2020 election, nearly 1 in 7 voters submitted their ballots before Election Day, as reported by the University of Florida’s Election Lab. However, many Republicans were critical of the significant increase in mail voting that year, arguing it was less secure than voting in person. Trump also made unfounded claims about mail-in ballot fraud while attempting to change the results of his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Some Republicans continue to advocate for in-person voting only on Election Day, despite party officials encouraging their supporters to vote early.

Across the country, 5.5 million Americans have already participated in the voting process this year, according to Election Lab. In contrast, by this time in the 2020 election, 27 million individuals had already voted as people aimed to avoid crowded polling stations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Georgia has tightened its mail-in voting regulations, requiring voters seeking absentee ballots to provide proof of identity and reducing the number of drop-off locations for ballots.

Georgia stands as one of seven key battleground states likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of the election.