Georgia’s voter registration deadline for the upcoming March 24th presidential primary is next Monday, February 24th. The state’s other primaries, including for the state legislature, congress, and (as of now) one U.S. Senate seat, will take place later on May 19th.
To register to vote, check your voter status, or explore voting locations or options, visit the Secretary of State’s website HERE.
If you are a Republican voter, you won’t have much to worry about – President Donald Trump is the only name on the list. State GOP officials late last year chose not to include a handful of fringe candidates who are challenging Trump in the primary, including one curiously named President R19 Boddie.
The picture is much less clear on the Democratic side of the ballot where 12 names will appear, several of which have already dropped out of the race. Per recent polling former Vice President Joe Biden maintains a strong advantage in Georgia, boasting an 18 point lead in a recent Landmark Communications poll for WSB. Biden’s edge though hinges on his performance in South Carolina on February 29th. He maintains a shrinking lead in the polls over a surging Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) and should he falter in the Palmetto State his campaign could fall into disarray, putting Georgia very much in play for other candidates.
The aforementioned Sanders has opened up a 10+ point lead in most polls nationwide over his Democratic rivals, picking up momentum as the primaries enter a crucial stretch. Also in the mix are former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who will hope to pick up Biden’s more moderate supporters should he collapse.
The primary is also noteworthy as it will mark the first statewide roll-out of the state’s new voting machines, which combine touch screens with paper balloting to ensure security. That saga has been of course much publicized, (and look for a story about it in our upcoming issue of JAMES Magazine) with successful tests rolled out in November and December municipal elections as well as in a handful of special elections earlier this year.
