There’s been nothing slow about early voting this election season.

During the first week and into the second week of early voting, more than 2,500 registered Tift County voters have cast ballots. By the time this editorial is published, the number will likely be more than 3,000 and counting.

Statewide, about 900,000 registered voters had cast ballots by early this week. That could already be at 1 million Georgians participating in early voting by Thursday morning.

Apparently, early voting works in Tift County and in Georgia, at least in this election.

In the past, some early voting numbers have been dismal, with the number of local voters in the low single digits each day.

This election, Tift is clocking an average of a few hundred voters per day, with nearly 1,000 voters casting ballots Friday, Oct. 21.

Anyone who claims early voting doesn’t work, or isn’t fair, or that early voting should be shortened or that voting should be curtailed only for Election Day should look at those numbers again.

Apparently, hundreds of thousands of Georgians disagree.

They want to vote and they want to vote early.

Early voting is convenient, lines are not long and you can do it at various times through the day during the three weeks that have been set aside for early voting.

Candidates are running for various county posts in Tift County. Statewide, voters are choosing a governor, a senator and many other Georgia leaders. Many local candidates face no opposition this election cycle, while a few do.

Voting is a right and a privilege.

Be informed. Make wise decisions based on ideologies, past performance, platforms and matters of principle, rather than on personality, popularity or party alone.

Then, go vote.