Georgia primary voters choose nominees in high-stakes 2026 races
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Georgia voters head to the polls Tuesday in high-stakes primaries for statewide offices, legislative seats and unusually contentious judicial races.
Why it matters: Georgia's primaries are an early test of voter enthusiasm in one of the country's top battleground states and set the stage for a potential overhaul of state government.
Zoom out: In addition to picking Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and other statewide posts, voters will also choose who should represent them in the state House and Senate.
- Nearly 90% of the Republican-controlled General Assembly seats are contested this election, according to the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Zoom in: Three typically low-profile but important judicial races have become some of the campaign season's most heated contests.
- Two Democrat-backed attorneys — Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin — are campaigning on issues like restoring abortion rights to unseat Republican-appointed Georgia Supreme Court Justices Sarah Hawkins Warren and Charlie Bethel, respectively.
- A Georgia Court of Appeals race pits a former prosecutor who helped Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis investigate President Trump against an incumbent judge who helped disqualify Willis from the case.
By the numbers: As of Monday morning, more than 1 million people — roughly 14% of the state's registered voters — had cast ballots during the early voting period, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office.
- Turnout statewide is 28% higher than the same period four years ago, the AJC notes.
The intrigue: Democrats — or people requesting a Democratic ballot — have cast roughly 153,000 more ballots than Republicans so far, according to state data.
How it works: Check out your sample ballot and double-check your polling place at Georgia's My Voter Page.
- Polls open Tuesday at 7am and close at 7pm. Voters in line by closing time can still cast ballots.
- Don't forget your photo ID.
Report any difficulties to the Georgia secretary of state's elections division or 866-OUR-VOTE, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law voter protection hotline.
State of play: Watch live election results at the Georgia secretary of state's website and local news outlets.
- If you're interested in an individual county's results, visit the county's elections website.
What's next: Crowded statewide and legislative contests mean several races are likely headed to June 16 runoffs.