(The Center Square) — When Georgians head to the polls for this month’s primary, voters casting ballots in the Democratic or Republican primaries will face several questions that could influence lawmakers’ actions moving forward.
More than 100,000 Georgians have already cast ballots in advance of the May 21 general primary and special elections. said his office has focused on “election security and user experience.”
“From upgrading poll pads to implementing a new voter registration system, we’ve worked tirelessly to enhance voting up and down the line,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “Georgia voters can trust that their elected representatives are chosen only by American citizens, casting their votes on secure paper ballots.”
“Voters will have a wonderful experience at the polls in 2024,” Raffensperger added. “In most cases they will be out in under two minutes, and have confidence in the process thanks to the hard work of election officials across Georgia.”
One of this election’s highest-profile races may be for a nonpartisan seat on the Supreme Court of Georgia. While Justices Michael Boggs, John Ellington and Nels Peterson are running unopposed for seats on the state’s highest court, Justice Andrew Pinson, appointed to the court in 2022 by Gov. Brian Kemp, faces a challenge from former Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow.
Stephen Dillard, Ken Hodges, Ben Land, Amanda H. Mercier, Brian M. Rickman and Jeffrey A. Watkins are running unopposed for re-election to their nonpartisan seats on the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Jeff Davis and Tabitha Ponder will face off to succeed M. Yvette Miller, who was appointed to the post by former Gov. Roy Barnes and is retiring.
However, the most telling choices may be in the Democrats’ and Republicans’ state party questions, the outcomes of which could influence how state lawmakers proceed next year and beyond.
Democrats’ questions range from gun violence to whether to allow same-day voter registration to whether the state should incentivize clean energy production, while Republicans are asking about subjects that include illegal immigration, whether the state should use hand-marked paper ballots for elections and moving toward the FairTax instead of an income tax.
