VALDOSTA – Forget about pumpkin spiced lattes. 

Casting a ballot is the trendy thing this fall.

Early voting totals from the second week of the mayoral race increased from 725 votes in 2015 to 1,233 votes in 2019 during the same period of early voting, according to the Lowndes County Board of Elections.

The 70% increase falls in line with the 68% increase seen from the first weeks of 2015 and 2019.

In total, the first two weeks of early voting increased 69% from 1,424 votes in 2015 to 2,411 votes in 2019.

Although a large increase on its nose, Trey Hood, professor of political science at the University of Georgia, warns the sample size could be misleading.

“Based on the percentage, it seems massive, but with the numbers being so small, it certainly is an increase but not huge,” Hood, an expert in Southern elections and election sciences, said.

Increased turnout is due to a multitude of variables, said Deb Cox, Lowndes County supervisor of elections.

Cox and Hood agree having five mayoral candidates could be a leading cause of increased turnout.

This is the last week of early voting. It is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, Cox said.

Early voting is held at the Lowndes County Board of Elections office, 2808 N. Oak St. The Nov. 5 election will be held at polling places throughout the city and county.

People living in city limits can vote on the next Valdosta mayor, as well as select Valdosta City Council and Valdosta Board of Education races and the “brunch bill” allowing establishments to serve starting at 11 a.m. instead of 12:30 p.m. Sundays. City races are also scheduled in other Lowndes County municipalities. And voters in municipalities and other portions of Lowndes County can vote for the eighth special purpose local option sales tax.