Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will hold a rally in downtown Statesboro Friday.

It is scheduled for noon on East Main St., near City Hall. Abrams, a Democrat, will speak at 12:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Bulloch County Democratic Committee and the One Georgia Political Action Committee.

Abrams is opposing Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams in the 2018 race. For the 2022 contest, Abrams is pushing plans to build a more economically equitable state, roll back abortion restrictions and undo Kemp’s moves to loosen gun laws. Kemp is emphasizing the state's strong economy and his efforts to put cash in the hands of voters.

Meanwhile, in-person early voting ends at 5 p.m. Friday with two locations open in Bulloch County: the Board of Elections and Registration office at the County Annex, 113 N. Main St., Suite 201, and the Honey Bowen Building, 1 Max Lockwood Drive at Fair Road in Memorial Park, Statesboro.

Then, Bulloch’s 16 precincts will be open Tuesday – Election Day – 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Statewide, early voting continued at a record pace, especially in comparison to 2018, the last general election with a governor’s race on the ballot. The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office reported through Wednesday night, 1,989,223 Georgians had cast early in-person ballots and an additional 193,978 absentee ballots had been accepted for a total of 2,183,201 votes.

Through Wednesday in Bulloch County, 9,321 residents had voted early in-person and an additional 1,006 absentee ballots had been accepted for a total of 10,327 votes.