Alpharetta and Milton voters face more than $700 million in local tax decisions on the Nov. 3 ballot, and absentee ballot requests across Fulton County are already climbing past 5,500.

Fulton County Registration & Elections reported 5,599 accepted applications as of Friday, Sept. 4, according to the county's latest absentee report. That is up from 4,411 through Aug. 28 and 3,337 through Aug. 24. The department has rejected 63 applications as too early or too late.

The pace picked up after a strong opening week. Applications opened Monday, Aug. 17, the earliest date Georgia law allows, and 1,527 requests landed on the second day alone. Daily totals mostly ranged from about 170 to 275 after that, though Aug. 24 drew 526 and Aug. 31 topped 400.

The biggest item for Alpharetta and Milton is a renewal of the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST), a 0.75% sales tax projected to generate roughly $650 million countywide over five years. Alpharetta stands to receive about $71.6 million and Milton about $44.2 million under the plan, according to the Fulton Neighbor.

Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts said in early August, when the TSPLOST intergovernmental agreement was signed, "Transportation remains one of the top concerns identified by Fulton County residents."

The second measure is a one-cent education sales tax, known as ESPLOST, that would raise up to $2.1 billion for the Fulton County School District and Atlanta Independent School District, according to the county's call for election. The ballot also includes a Fulton County Commission District 4 special election.

Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, whose District 2 includes Milton, posted on X on Aug. 24 directing voters to absentee ballot resources and reminding them of the request deadline.

No ballots have been mailed yet. County officials can begin mailing them Oct. 5, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Registration & Elections Director Nadine Williams has scheduled absentee ballot processing to begin Oct. 26 at the county's Election Hub in Fairburn.

Key dates for Alpharetta and Milton voters: the registration deadline is Oct. 5, early in-person voting runs Oct. 13 through Oct. 30, and the last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 23.