Get ready for campaign commercials, “robo calls,” and mailboxes full of campaign flyers.
From the primaries in March to the General Election in November, Georgians will head to the polls at least three times this year and more often if run-offs are needed.
In addition to the presidential race, there are several local, state, and federal offices to be decided in 2024.
In Habersham County, voters will cast ballots in nearly two dozen races. Three county commission and two board of education seats are up for grabs, along with clerk of court, state court judge, solicitor, chief magistrate, probate judge, sheriff, tax commissioner, and coroner.
Habersham County voters will also help decide a superior court judgeship and district attorney’s race in the Mountain Judicial Circuit. At the state level, they’ll weigh in on two state House and a state Senate seat, two statewide PSC races, and the congressional seat currently held by Andrew Clyde. (see below list from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office .)
Who’s running?
Of course, before anyone heads to the polls, it’s important to know who’s on the ballot.
Qualifying for state and local elections opens March 4 and runs through March 8.
Those wishing to run for local office need to check with their county’s elections office for information on fees and qualifying requirements. Those seeking state or federal office should contact the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
The field is mostly set at the federal level, and Georgia voters may be surprised by the number of names on their ballots for the presidential primaries. President Joe Biden faces intra-party opposition, and more than half of the GOP candidates have dropped out or suspended their campaigns.
The three Democrats running for president are Biden, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, and author Mariane Williamson. Robert Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent, so his name will not be on the Democratic ballot.
Eleven names will appear on Georgia’s GOP presidential primary ballot. Only five of them remain in the running. Current candidates include Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Because Georgia has open primaries, voters may choose which party primary they want to vote in, regardless of their party affiliation.
When do we vote?
This year Georgia will hold two primary elections in the spring and a general election in the fall.
The presidential preference primary is March 12. The last day to register to vote in this primary is February 12. Advance voting for the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries begins on February 19.
The general primary will take place on May 21. Only those who are registered to vote by April 22 may participate. Advance voting in the general primary begins April 29.
This very long and consequential election year will culminate in November with the general election. That’s when the candidates who won the primaries will face off at the polls.
Election Day in the United States is always held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This year, that date falls on November 5.
The voter registration deadline for election day is October 7. Advance voting begins on October 15.
