Georgia takes center stage in Tuesday’s primary elections as Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger try to fight back challengers endorsed by Donald Trump.
Trump recruited former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to take on Kemp for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, but Perdue has lagged in polls and fundraising. Kemp has been increasingly confident the GOP will send him forward to a November rematch with Stacey Abrams, who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Raffensperger, the state’s top elections official, is facing a tough challenge from U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who has promoted Trump’s lies that widespread voter fraud or tampering cost him the 2020 election. Two other Republicans are also trying to unseat Raffensperger.
Trump’s candidate for U.S. Senate, football legend Herschel Walker, appears to be cruising to the Republican nomination over five other challengers. Some GOP leaders have warned that Walker will be unelectable in November against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock. Walker has been accused of threatening his ex-wife’s life, exaggerating his business record and lying about graduating from the University of Georgia.
There’s a whole lot more that will appear on the ballot. Let’s dive in.
⭕ Before you cast your vote
The key to knowing everything about the primary? Check out our comprehensive News4JAX Voter’s Guide.
To see who’s on local ballots, go directly to voters guides for Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Glynn, Pierce and Ware counties.
You can go to My Voter Page on the Secretary of State’s website for your voter information. That’s where you can confirm that you’re registered to vote, verify your current address, see a sample ballot and find your specific polling place.
You’ll need to bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport or voter identification card.
All neighborhood voting precincts be will open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What exactly is a primary❓
It’s different from a general election. A primary is for registered voters to pick a candidate that they think should be their party’s candidate for office during the general election. Georgia uses an open primary system, which means registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in the primary.
In Georgia, if any candidate does not get more than 50% of the vote, the top two will face off in a primary runoff on June 21. The primary winners advance to the Nov. 8 general election.
🗳️ What’s on the ballot (and where you can find the results)
Here’s a list of what you’ll find to vote on. Clicking the links below will take you to our results pages. Return often after the polls close at 7 p.m. to see who is winning each race.
- Statewide elections (U.S. Senate, governor, secretary of state, etc.)