r/Georgia • • 9d ago

Politics Georgia Voting Guide 2026

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171 Upvotes

Key Dates

  • Tues., Oct. 13 Early (advance) voting begins
  • Sat., Oct. 17 Required Saturday early voting
  • Fri., Oct. 23 Last day for county to receive absentee ballot applications
  • Sat., Oct. 24 Required Saturday early voting
  • Fri., Oct. 30 Early voting ends
  • Tues., Nov. 3 Election Day (7 a.m.–7 p.m.); absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m.
  • Fri., Nov. 6 Deadline to fix (cure) an absentee ballot problem or show ID for a provisional ballot
  • Mon., Nov. 9 Counties certify results (5 p.m. Monday after the election; verify)
  • Fri., Nov. 20 Secretary of State certifies statewide results (by 17 days after; verify)
  • Tues., Dec. 1 Runoff election, if no candidate gets more than 50%

Make a Voting Plan

Choose to vote early in person, by mail or on Election Day.

  • Vote early in person from Tues., Oct. 13 to Fri., Oct. 30.
  • Vote by mail. Any voter can vote by mail. Request a ballot by Fri., Oct. 23. Request a mail ballot Return it by Tues., Nov. 3. Problem with your ballot? If there is a problem with your envelope, your county will tell you. Fix it by Nov. 6 with a form and your ID. Track your ballot
  • Vote on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 3, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. local time. Find your polling place. Check the official ID rules so you bring the right ID.
  • Have a past conviction?
    • You can't vote while serving a sentence for a felony.
    • Your right to vote comes back once you finish your full sentence, including parole, probation, and fines.
    • You then need to register again.

What’s on Your Ballot

These are the biggest races in Georgia this year. Please note, we do not endorse any candidates.

Governor

  • Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic · Campaign site
  • Former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022) and former White House senior adviser.
  • Rick Jackson Republican · Campaign site
  • Founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare, a health care staffing company.

Stance on key issues

Voting rights & elections

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports protecting local election officials from political interference, expanding early and absentee voting, making Election Day a state holiday, and vetoing maps that dilute minority voting power. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

No public position found.

Policing, prisons & public safety

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports more help for law enforcement plus 'targeted violence reduction efforts' and more diversion and treatment for nonviolent cases. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Pledges to 'fully support law enforcement with resources, training, and respect' and to 'ban revolving-door justice.' Source

Immigration

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Says immigration enforcement should focus on violent criminals, not students, workers and mothers. Supports limiting zoning for private ICE detention centers and reviewing state contracts with ICE. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Pledges to 'make Georgia number one in the nation for deporting all CRIMINAL illegal immigrants.' Source

Abortion & health care

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports restoring abortion rights and opposes Georgia's six-week ban. Supports expanding Medicaid and replacing the Georgia Pathways program with broader coverage. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

His campaign says he 'strongly supports Georgia's current Heartbeat law and will defend it as governor,' including its current exceptions. On Medicaid, has said he wants to measure success by how many people have commercial insurance. Source

Economy, taxes & cost of living

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Proposes eliminating local sales taxes on groceries and essentials and creating a state board to lower prescription costs. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Proposes cutting the state income tax in half within four years and freezing property taxes 'immediately to stop runaway assessments.' Source

Housing

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Proposes faster permitting for housing, more down-payment and renter assistance, and a state affordable housing trust fund. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

No public position found.

Schools

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports fully funding public schools with an updated funding formula and creating a path to free technical and community college. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Proposes freezing tuition, room and board at public colleges and technical schools, raising teacher pay, and banning 'ideological indoctrination in schools.' Source

Civil rights, DEI & LGBTQ+ rights

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports statewide nondiscrimination protections that include sexual orientation and gender identity, codifying marriage equality, and banning conversion therapy for minors. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Proposes banning DEI programs in state government, public universities and classrooms. Says 'boys' should not compete in girls' sports or use girls' bathrooms or locker rooms. Source

Climate & environmental justice

Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic

Supports a pause on new data centers, citing 'higher utility bills, strained water resources' and harm to nearby communities. Source

Rick Jackson Republican

Opposes a statewide pause on data centers and says local communities should decide. Source

U.S. Senate

  • Mike Collins Republican · Campaign site
  • U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th District since 2023; trucking business owner.
  • Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent · Campaign site
  • U.S. senator since 2021; former investigative documentary producer.

Stance on key issues

Voting rights & elections

Mike Collins Republican

Voted for the SAVE Act (April 2025), which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Reintroduced the Right to Vote Act to create a federal legal right to vote. Source

Policing, prisons & public safety

Mike Collins Republican

No public position found.

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Sponsored the Federal Prison Oversight Act, now law, which set up independent inspections of federal prisons. Source

Immigration

Mike Collins Republican

Has said 'we need mass deportations' (campaign site). Introduced the House version of the Laken Riley Act (2025), which requires detaining non-citizens charged with certain crimes. Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Led a Senate investigation that found over 1,000 credible reports of human rights abuses in immigration detention. Has backed bipartisan border security bills. Source

Abortion & health care

Mike Collins Republican

Calls himself '100 percent pro-life' and supports Georgia's heartbeat law with exceptions. Opposed extending the enhanced ACA premium tax credits. Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Opposes abortion bans and Georgia's six-week ban. Supported extending enhanced ACA tax credits and opposed Medicaid cuts. Helped pass the $35 monthly insulin cap for Medicare. Source

Economy, taxes & cost of living

Mike Collins Republican

Voted for the 2025 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (tax cuts and spending changes). Calls for cutting regulations and cracking down on 'Medicaid scams.' Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Has criticized tariffs for raising costs. Introduced legislation to cut taxes for farmers. Source

Housing

Mike Collins Republican

Supports faster federal permitting through his PERMIT Act to cut construction costs and delays. Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

No public position found.

Schools

Mike Collins Republican

No public position found.

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Has pushed back on federal cuts to Hispanic-Serving Institutions and to civil-rights enforcement at the Education Department. Source

Civil rights, DEI & LGBTQ+ rights

Mike Collins Republican

No public position found.

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Supported the Respect for Marriage Act and the Equality Act. Wrote a bipartisan law to help solve civil rights–era cold cases. Source

Climate & environmental justice

Mike Collins Republican

Introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act to block EPA truck emission rules. Source

Jon Ossoff Democratic, incumbent

Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act's clean-energy programs. Has pressed federal regulators on rising power bills tied to AI data centers. Source

Public Service Commission, District 3

  • Peter Hubbard Democratic, incumbent · Campaign site
  • Won this seat in 2025. Clean-energy analyst who founded the Georgia Center for Energy Solutions.
  • Fitz Johnson Republican · Campaign site
  • Army veteran and businessman. Served on the commission from 2021 to 2025.

Stance on key issues

Data centers

Peter Hubbard Democratic, incumbent

Says discounts for data centers push more than $1 billion in costs onto household bills. Source

Fitz Johnson Republican

Says he put protections in place so data centers pay their share. Source

Public Service Commission, District 5

  • Thomas Blooming Libertarian
  • Electrical engineer who has worked on Google and Facebook data centers.
  • Shelia Edwards Democratic · Campaign site
  • Cobb County business owner and former county communications staffer.
  • Josh Tolbert Republican · Campaign site
  • Smyrna engineer who has worked on power plants.

Stance on key issues

Data centers

Thomas Blooming Libertarian

Says data centers should build their own power. Source

Shelia Edwards Democratic

Says large corporate power users should pay their fair share instead of households. Source

Josh Tolbert Republican

Calls himself pro-data center, but says the costs belong to whoever causes them. Source

Ballot measures

  • Amendment 1: Conservation use property acreage. Raises the most land one owner can enroll in Georgia's lower 'conservation use' property tax rate for farm and timber land, from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. Yes means owners could get the lower farm/timber tax rate on up to 4,000 acres. No means the limit stays at 2,000 acres.
  • Amendment 2: Nonpartisan probate judge elections. Requires all probate court judges to be elected in nonpartisan elections (no party label on the ballot). Yes means all probate judges would run without party labels. No means some counties could keep partisan probate judge elections.
  • Amendment 3: Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund. Lets the legislature set aside certain existing revenues in a dedicated fund that can be used only to expand, maintain and run 9-1-1 emergency systems. Yes means A dedicated, protected fund for 9-1-1 systems can be created. No means no dedicated 9-1-1 fund in the constitution; money stays subject to regular budget rules.

Protect the Vote

  • Apply to be a poll worker and support free and fair elections.
  • Watch the count. Take a training to learn how to observe the polls.
  • If anyone tries to stop you from voting or something at your polling place seems wrong:
    • Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
    • Call 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) — Spanish
    • Call 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) — Asian languages
    • Call 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) — Arabic
    • If you’re in line when polls close, stay in line. You can still vote.
    • If your name isn’t on the list, ask for a provisional ballot.
    • Know your rights

Organizations to Support


r/Georgia • • 4d ago

Politics [Megathread] Weekly Political Organizing Thread

11 Upvotes

This thread will be the central hub for all discussions regarding protests, marches, and general political organizing in the state of Georgia. r/Georgia mods will not vet the legitimacy of events posted, so make sure to do your own research before attending any events. All comments must still follow the Political post guidelines.

If you are an organizer who would like to post outside of this thread, please send a mod mail. All other protest posts will be removed going forward.

Background image for highlight/thumbnail/whatever.


r/Georgia • • 10h ago

Politics 4 Days Of Early Voting In Georgia Before The Weekend: Over 741,000 Votes, Finally Surpassing 2022 For The Same Day(2022 Had Monday Voting) | Black Vote Has Held Up

249 Upvotes

On this day in 2022, which had an extra day of voting, Monday, there were ~738,000 votes. We are not at more than 741,000 votes.

In 2026 the vote in urban areas and suburbs is way up and the vote in exurbs and rurals is way down.

The black vote is looking to be uniquely strong this year, even compared to 2018. We are also seeing big EV surges in all non-white voting groups. This would have helped Republicans in 2024 but it hurts them now.

On Saturday and Sunday we will see a huge surge in black vote share, even potentially driving the cumulative share above 36% or 37%. No Kings has a big Get Out The Vote(GOTV) effort tomorrow and Souls To The Polls is of course on the weekend as well. With both in combination we can probably expect a larger number of votes than usual. Many counties do not have Sunday voting and some have very limited Saturday voting, so Dem counties will disproportionately turn out.

We saw about 88,000 19,000 votes respectively on Saturday and Sunday in the first week of 2022. 2024 saw much higher numbers. I expect we'll be closer to 2024 than 2022 although we don't have a huge history to be sure about that.

Everyone should make sure that they have a plan to vote, early or not, and that their friends and family do as well.


r/Georgia • • 12h ago

Politics Todd Gurley joining Trump on Air Force One for Georgia rally

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141 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 23h ago

Picture Did my civic duty

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1.0k Upvotes

Went after I got done at the gym. ~7am place was empty. In & out.


r/Georgia • • 22h ago

Politics New voting stickers?!?

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540 Upvotes

I felt even better voting blue after receiving my “I voted sticker”

It looks like a Jan 6th traitor participation reward.

update - my wife just voted at the same place I did and they asked if she wanted the peach sticker or the one I posted above. She chose peach obviously but now I’m more annoyed. I must have been “hey brother” profiled.


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Georgia midterm election turnout surpasses 500,000 on 3rd day of early voting, data shows

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1.4k Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 21h ago

Politics Got out and did my civic duty

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229 Upvotes

Got out early to vote before starting a busy day


r/Georgia • • 11h ago

Question Natural lake in Georgia?

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31 Upvotes

Just asked [r/southcarolina](r/southcarolina) because I thought the square was in SC but its definitely in GA

This is a map of reservoirs and natural lakes from the Environmental Protection Agency. It seems to depict that there is a natural lake in GA/Western SC. However, I looked it up and apparently SC and GA have no natural lakes. Is this map wrong or is there a lake I’m not aware of?

Blue squares = natural lakes and yellow dots = reservoirs

A lot of people have said its inaccurate and while I do agree its misleading, the EPA actually listed some weirdly specific guidelines for inclusion on the map:
“greater than 2.47 acres (1 hectares), at least 3.3 feet (1 meter) deep, and with a minimum quarter acre (0.1 hectare) of open water. Lakes had a minimum retention time of 1 week. The Great Lakes and the Great Salt Lake were not included in the survey, nor were commercial treatment and/or disposal ponds, brackish lakes, or ephemeral lakes.”

So that may explain why the lake you’re looking for isn’t included.


r/Georgia • • 13h ago

Humor GA Power Commercial?

42 Upvotes

This is random, but has anyone else seen the Georgia Power company ad that's talking about them lowering rates and "delivering good news"?

It cracks me up because the second-to-last (or so) heartwarming little video vignette clip shows what appears to be an approximately 3-yr-old girl being encouraged by her mom(?) to touch the hot oven doors while looking inside. 🤣


r/Georgia • • 17h ago

Politics Proposed Constitutional Amendments

78 Upvotes

I’m trying to figure out if I am voting YES or NO on the 3rd Proposed Amendment. I find the wording very vague. Authorizes creation of George next generation 9-1-1 fund for 9-1-1 system expansion, maintenance and operation. Does anyone have any clarification?

EDIT- thank yall so much for helping me understand it better, the vagueness of the amendment that had me questioning it, was obviously purposeful.
I did vote no (on all three)

Leaving the post up for other people out that that might be confused as well!

Now get out there and vote!!!!!

BTW when I went to vote, the line was all the way out the door, but it was such a smooth running system, it literally only took five minutes. No excuses people, get out there!!!


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Missing Person MISSING CHILD - PLEASE SHARE

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199 Upvotes

🚨Daniella Ladesma left home at 2:15 pm and was last seen around 2:45 ish leaving Hampton Park neighborhood in East Cobb heading down Post Oak Tritt Rd toward the Mt Bethel private school campus. She is 13 years old and was last seen wearing purple pajamas, carrying a backpack. She has been missing for almost 14 hours now. The police are involved and the community has been searching for her, but no updates as of now. Please share!


r/Georgia • • 21h ago

Politics Georgia SB 351 Defended in Courts

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74 Upvotes

In May 2025, NetChoice filed a motion for a preliminary injunction on the (at the time) newly passed "Protecting Georgia's Children on Social Media Act of 2024" – Georgia SB 351.

Their claim was that this law disproportionately affects law-abiding adults and creates undue cyber security risks by requiring identity and age verification (via submission of state or other official government ID) for access to digital services.

Yesterday, after 17 long months, the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals issued their opinion in favor SB 351, thus vacating the preliminary injunction and paving the way for the act to take full effect (implementation and enforcement).

---

In other news, VPN services observe a noticeable uptick in subscription sales.


r/Georgia • • 11h ago

Question Anyone know what is being filmed in gwinnett?

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8 Upvotes

A friend got notice on road closures for his neighborhood for filming this weekend. Anyone know what is being filmed?


r/Georgia • • 14h ago

Question Anyone going to the fair in Perry?

14 Upvotes

I took off work Thursday and today to go to the fair, but earlier this week I got sick and I’m very contagious. I wanted to go because I entered two pieces into the home arts competition and wanted to look at all the other work in my category and see if I placed. It’s my first time ever entering any of my work and I was so excited. But I’m not going to put other people at risk.

Anyway, if anyone is going would I’d love to see pics from the Hand Embroidery division.


r/Georgia • • 14h ago

Question GA red clay dirt/ dust

12 Upvotes

I’ve grown up in ga my entire life outside of the time I spent in the military traveling. I have 2 young children and 3 dogs. Probably SOL but figured I would ask anyways.

I know this is everywhere and stains everything and is a part of life but what have yall done to reduce the amount of it in your home? I have LVP floors through most the house and I feel like no matter how much I sweep, mop, dust it is still everywhere. Not getting rid of the dogs and can’t get rid of the kids. I’m just becoming a grumpy old man about trying to figure out how to keep this stuff out or limit the amount of it in the house.


r/Georgia • • 18h ago

Question Reporter Seeking Georgia Pathways and Access Enrollees

14 Upvotes

Hi there! My name is Sam Whitehead. I’m a reporter in Atlanta with KFF Health News. (This is me: https://www.kff.org/person/sam-whitehead/ )

I’m working on a story about the future of Medicaid and the ACA in Georgia, and looking to talk with:

Is that you? I’d love to chat with you about your experience for a story we’re looking to publish in the next few weeks.

You can reach me here or at [samw@kff.org](mailto:samw@kff.org). Hit me up!


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Multiple No Kings Voting events planned for Saturday in Georgia(Locations At The Link)

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195 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Can anyone explain this bill please?

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227 Upvotes

Idk if I'm tired and the words just aren't clicking or what. I get it's like a property tax exemption, but I don't get why it's for 65 and up property owners for educational purposes for the bibb county school district.

I'm just trying to understand the ballot before I go

Edit: Much appreciated, I also appreciate the different viewpoints


r/Georgia • • 16h ago

Question Perry GA - what is there to do? (Spring 2027)

5 Upvotes

I'm going to be in Perry over a long weekend in the spring - accompanying my sister, who will be at an event at the fairgrounds, so I'll need to find things to do while she's occupied with that.

Books, coffee, thrift stores, antiques, art, crafts... anyone have suggestions? Is Perry a funky, artsy little town... or not?


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Arts “Red” - images and thoughts from my 47th walk in Clayton, GA

88 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 19h ago

Question How is Teaching in Liberty County/Hinesville?

2 Upvotes

Hi,

I am interested in teaching and am looking into different counties surrounding Savannah. Couldn’t find a ton of info online -

Does anyone have any personal experience working for liberty county? How is it?

Thanks


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Recorded name ledger in order to vote

64 Upvotes

To my understanding, the Georgia Election Board implemented a new rule requiring a ledger to be maintained of everyone that votes. It seems innocent enough, but this Board seems to have nefarious intentions and I can only be skeptical of any decisions they make.

So, my question is this, what's the angle here? What underlying tactic is trying to be employed here? I hate having to mistrust our officials, but here we are.


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Question Georgia arrest record eligible for restriction, but mugshot still publicly posted online. Any advice?

20 Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I’m posting on behalf of a female friend in Georgia.

A few months ago, she was arrested in Gwinnett County. She subsequently completed a pretrial diversion program, and the State issued an official Notice That No Accusation Will Be Filed.

Her case has now been disposed of without a criminal conviction, and the official notice explicitly marks her as eligible for record restriction.

However, her mugshot, name, and arrest details are still publicly available on The Georgia Gazette’s website and Facebook page. The post also appears when someone searches her name.

Her criminal attorney mentioned that record restriction should happen automatically but wasn’t sure how to remove the online publications.

She has found The Georgia Gazette’s removal request form, but we have a few questions:

Has anyone successfully had their mugshot removed from The Georgia Gazette or its Facebook page?
Does eligibility for record restriction help with removal?
How long does automatic record restriction usually take in Georgia?
What can she do if the website refuses to remove the post?
She’s particularly concerned about her future employment opportunities and reputation.
Any firsthand experiences or practical advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Question Will MARTA become a state level thing ever?

50 Upvotes

What is stopping it from being brought to a state level and heavily expanded upon?

I know midterms are coming up, what are the odds of a bill being passed in the coming years?