Georgia State Senate elections, 2020
2020 Georgia Senate Elections | |
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General | November 3, 2020 |
Primary | June 9, 2020 |
Primary runoff | August 11, 2020 |
Runoff election | December 1, 2020 |
Past Election Results |
2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
2020 Elections | |
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Choose a chamber below: | |
Republicans lost a seat but kept their majority in the 2020 elections for Georgia State Senate. All 56 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 35 seats to Democrats' 21. Republicans lost a net one seat, leaving the Republican Party with a 34-21 majority. These numbers do not include District 39, where a special election was held after November 3, 2020, to fill the seat. In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost two seats to Democrats but retained a 35-21 majority.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified five of the races as battlegrounds, two of which were Democrat-held districts and three of which were Republican-held districts. These battlegrounds were District 9, District 17, District 40, District 48, and District 56.
Heading into the election, Georgia had been under a Republican trifecta since the 2004 election, when Republicans won the state House. Republicans took control of the state Senate and governorship in the 2002 elections.
Democrats needed to win all five of the battleground seats as well as five non-battleground seats to take control of the state Senate, while Republicans had the chance to increase their majority if they won either of the Democrat-controlled battleground seats.
The Georgia State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. All 56 seats in the Georgia State Senate were up for election in 2018.
Georgia's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Georgia, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in Georgia after the 2020 census.
Heading into the 2020 general election, Republicans controlled 59 out of 99 state legislative chambers in the U.S., while Democrats controlled 39 chambers. The Alaska House was the sole chamber in which there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties. Republicans also had trifectas in 21 states. A party has a trifecta when it controls the governorship and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Georgia modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Candidate filing procedures: The petitioning deadline for minor-party and unaffiliated candidates was extended to August 14, 2020. The petition signature requirement for independent and minor-party candidates was reduced to 70 percent of their original numbers.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
Georgia State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
Democratic Party | 21 | 22 | |
Republican Party | 35 | 34 | |
Total | 56 | 56 |
Districts
- See also: Georgia state legislative districts
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Candidates
General election
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Georgia State Senate general election 2020
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
- = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Republican Other District 1 Did not make the ballot:
Kerri McGinty
Ben Watson (i)
District 2 Lester Jackson (i)
District 3 Nathan Russo (Independent) (Write-in)
Did not make the ballot:
Cedric King (Independent)
District 4 Billy Hickman (i)
District 5 Sheikh Rahman (i)
District 6 Jen Jordan (i)
District 7 Tyler Harper (i)
District 8 District 9 P.K. Martin (i)
District 10 Emanuel Jones (i)
District 11 Dean Burke (i)
District 12 Freddie Sims (i)
District 13 Carden Summers (i)
District 14 Bruce Thompson (i)
District 15 Ed Harbison (i)
District 16 Marty Harbin (i)
District 17 Brian Strickland (i)
District 18 John Kennedy (i)
District 19 Blake Tillery (i)
District 20 Larry Walker (i)
District 21 Brandon Beach (i)
District 22 Harold Jones (i)
District 23 District 24 Lee Anderson (i)
District 25 Burt Jones (i)
District 26 David Lucas Sr. (i)
District 27 Greg Dolezal (i)
District 28 Matt Brass (i)
District 29 Randy Robertson (i)
District 30 Mike Dugan (i)
District 31 District 32 Kay Kirkpatrick (i)
District 33 Michael Rhett (i)
District 34 Valencia Seay (i)
District 35 Donzella James (i)
District 36 Nan Orrock (i)
District 37 Lindsey Tippins (i)
District 38 Horacena Tate (i)
District 39 This general election was canceled.
Did not make the ballot:
Nikema Williams (i)
District 40 Sally Harrell (i)
District 41 District 42 Elena Parent (i)
District 43 Tonya Anderson (i)
District 44 Gail Davenport (i)
District 45 Did not make the ballot:
Arthur Tripp Jr. (Independent)
District 46 Bill Cowsert (i)
District 47 Frank Ginn (i)
District 48 District 49 Butch Miller (i)
District 50 District 51 Steve Gooch (i)
District 52 Chuck Hufstetler (i)
District 53 Jeff Mullis (i)
District 54 Chuck Payne (i)
District 55 Gloria Butler (i)
District 56 John Albers (i)
Primary runoff
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Georgia State Senate primary runoff 2020
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
- = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Republican Other District 3 District 4 District 9 District 30 District 31 District 50
Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Georgia Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[1]
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Georgia State Senate primary 2020
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
- = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Republican Other District 1 Ben Watson (i)
District 2 Lester Jackson (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 3 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 4 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Billy Hickman (i)
Scott Bohlke
Kathy Palmer
Neil Singleton
Did not make the ballot:
Jack Hill (i)
District 5 Sheikh Rahman (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 6 Jen Jordan (i)
District 7 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Tyler Harper (i)
District 8 District 9 P.K. Martin (i)
District 10 The Republican primary was canceled.
District 11 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Dean Burke (i)
District 12 District 13 District 14 Did not make the ballot:
William Schenck
Bruce Thompson (i)
District 15 The Republican primary was canceled.
District 16 Marty Harbin (i)
District 17 Brian Strickland (i)
District 18 The Democratic primary was canceled.
John Kennedy (i)
District 19 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Blake Tillery (i)
District 20 District 21 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 22 Harold Jones (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 23 District 24 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Lee Anderson (i)
District 25 Burt Jones (i)
District 26 The Republican primary was canceled.
District 27 Greg Dolezal (i)
District 28 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Matt Brass (i)
District 29 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Randy Robertson (i)
District 30 Mike Dugan (i)
District 31 District 32 Kay Kirkpatrick (i)
District 33 Michael Rhett (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 34 Valencia Seay (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 35 The Republican primary was canceled.
District 36 Nan Orrock (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 37 Lindsey Tippins (i)
District 38 Horacena Tate (i)
Devin Barrington-Ward
Michael Carson
Tania Robinson
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 39 The Republican primary was canceled.
District 40 Sally Harrell (i)
District 41 Gil Freeman
Mohammed Hossain
Kim Jackson
Beverly Jones
Did not make the ballot:
Sabrina Mckenzie
District 42 Elena Parent (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 43 Tonya Anderson (i)
District 44 District 45 District 46 Bill Cowsert (i)
District 47 Frank Ginn (i)
District 48 District 49 The Democratic primary was canceled.
Butch Miller (i)
District 50 Andy Garrison
Dan Gasaway
Stacy Hall
Bo Hatchett
Tricia Hise
Lee Moore
District 51 Steve Gooch (i)
District 52 Chuck Hufstetler (i)
District 53 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 54 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 55 Gloria Butler (i)
The Republican primary was canceled.
District 56 John Albers (i)
2020 battleground chamber
The Georgia State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.
What was at stake?
- Democrats needed to gain eight seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
- If Democrats had flipped or split control of the chamber, they would have broken the Republican trifecta. If Republicans had maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate, they would have preserved their trifecta.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats needed to flip: Democrats needed to flip eight of the 56 seats up (14% of the chamber) in order to win a majority.
- Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Georgia State Senate a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[2]
Battleground races
Georgia State Senate Battleground races |
---|
District 9 |
District 17 |
District 40 |
District 48 |
District 56 |
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified five battleground races in the Georgia State Senate 2020 elections, two of which were Democrat-held districts and three of which were Republican-held districts. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
District 9
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
P.K. Martin (Incumbent) |
What made this a battleground race?
This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. P.K. Martin (R) was elected in 2018 where he received 51.9 percent of the vote and defeated Cheryle Moses (D) by 3.9 percentage points. District 9 was one of 35 Georgia Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 9 by 9.8 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 28.5 percentage points. |
District 17
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Brian Strickland (Incumbent) |
What made this a battleground race?
This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Brian Strickland (R) was elected in 2018 where he received 54.5 percent of the vote and defeated Phyllis Hatcher (D) by 8.9 percentage points. District 17 was one of 35 Georgia Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 17 by 15.7 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 22 percentage points. |
District 40
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Sally Harrell (Incumbent) |
What made this a battleground race?
This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Sally Harrell (D) was first elected in 2018 where she received 54.8 percent of the vote and defeated then-incumbent Fran Millar (R) by 9.5 percentage points. District 40 was one of 21 Georgia Senate districts that Democrat Hilary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 40 by 12.9 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.1 percentage points. |
District 48
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. Zahra Karinshak (D) was elected in 2018 where she received 53.6 percent of the vote and defeated Matt Reeves (R) by 7.2 percentage points. District 48 was one of 21 Georgia Senate districts that Democrat Hilary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 48 by 5.3 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 15.5 percentage points. |
District 56
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
John Albers (Incumbent) |
What made this a battleground race?
This was a district where the winner in the last state legislative election received less than 55% of the vote. John Albers (R) was first elected in 2010 and then reelected in 2012, 2014, 2016, and most recently in 2018 where he received 52.5 percent of the vote and defeated challenger Ellyn Jeager (D) by 5 percentage points. District 56 was one of 35 Georgia Senate districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 56 by 3.4 percentage points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 23.5 percentage points. |
Battleground races map
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbents was:
Name | Party | Office |
---|---|---|
P.K. Martin | Republican | Senate District9 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries. Before 2020, the most recent time an incumbent Senator was defeated in a primary challenge was 2014 when two incumbents were defeated.
Retiring incumbents
There were nine open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3][4] Those incumbents were:
Name | Party | Office |
---|---|---|
William Ligon | Republican | Senate District 3 |
Ellis Black | Republican | Senate District 8 |
Jesse Stone | Republican | Senate District 23 |
Bill Heath | Republican | Senate District 31 |
Nikema Williams | Democratic | Senate District 39 |
Steve Henson | Democratic | Senate District 41 |
Renee Unterman | Republican | Senate District 45 |
Zahra Karinshak | Democratic | Senate District 48 |
John Wilkinson | Republican | Senate District 50 |
The nine open seats in 2020 were the most left open since 2010 when 11 incumbents did not seek re-election. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
Open Seats in Georgia State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
2020 | 56 | 9 (16 percent) | 47 (84 percent) |
2018 | 56 | 3 (5 percent) | 53 (95 percent) |
2016 | 56 | 3 (5 percent) | 53 (95 percent) |
2014 | 56 | 7 (13 percent) | 49 (87 percent) |
2012 | 56 | 2 (4 percent) | 54 (96 percent) |
2010 | 56 | 11 (20 percent) | 45 (80 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 21, Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Georgia Code
There are four ways for a candidate to gain ballot access in Georgia: as a political party candidate, as a political organization candidate, as an independent candidate or as a write-in.
Requirements for all candidates
All candidates are required to pay a filing fee; filing fees vary from year-to-year. In lieu of a filing fee, a candidate may submit a pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition, which certifies that the candidate is unable to pay the fee. The affidavit includes a financial statement that lists the candidate's total income, assets, liabilities, and other relevant financial information. This information must indicate that the candidate has neither the assets nor the income to pay the qualifying fee normally required. The pauper's affidavit must be accompanied by a qualifying petition containing signatures as follows:[5]
- One-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last general election if the candidate is seeking statewide office
- 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the office being sought by the candidate if the candidate is seeking an office other than statewide office
Political party candidates
A political party candidate is nominated at his or her party's primary election. An individual cannot become a political party candidate if he or she has already qualified for the same primary election with a different political party, or if he or she has filed as an independent or political organization candidate. Political parties determine the rules for qualifying to appear on the primary election ballot. However, there are some stipulations set by the state to which all political party candidates must adhere. These include the following:[6][7][8]
- filing a declaration of candidacy and an affidavit with the political party during the political party qualifying period, which is set by the Georgia Secretary of State; the affidavit must state the following:
- the name of the candidate as he or she wishes it to appear on the ballot
- the candidate’s residence
- the candidate’s occupation
- the candidate’s precinct
- that the candidate is eligible to vote in the primary in which he or she is running
- the office the candidate is seeking
- that the candidate is eligible to hold the office he or she is seeking
- that the candidate will not knowingly violate any election rule or law
- that the candidate has never been convicted or sentenced for violation of election laws, malfeasance in office or a felony involving moral turpitude, or, if the candidate has been convicted and sentenced for such crimes, that at least 10 years have passed since completion of the sentence and that the candidate's civil rights have been restored
- paying the qualifying fee or submitting a pauper's affidavit and the accompanying qualifying petition
Within three days of the end of the qualifying period, a political party must certify to the Georgia Secretary of State a list of those candidates who successfully qualified with the party for the primary election and turn in the qualifying fees paid by the candidates, the declarations of candidacy, and the affidavits.[9]
Political organization candidates
A political organization candidate can be nominated by his or her organization's convention, if the political organization has qualified to hold such a convention, or by petition. A candidate cannot file as a political organization candidate if he or she has already filed for the same office as a political party candidate.[7]
If nominated by convention, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State during the political party qualifying period. After a candidate is chosen at the convention, the candidate must pay the filing fee for the corresponding office to the Georgia Secretary of State. If the candidate cannot afford the filing fee, he or she must file a pauper's affidavit and accompanying qualifying petition. With the filing fee or pauper's affidavit, a certified copy of the minutes of the convention, attested to by the chairperson and secretary of the convention, must also be filed.[5][10]
If nominated by petition, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for these petitions are the same as those for independent candidates, which are listed below. In order for a candidate filing by petition to be recognized as a political organization candidate, the political organization must provide a sworn certificate stating that the named candidate is the nominee of that political organization.[5][11]
Independent candidates
A candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she has qualified for the same office with any political party or political organization. An independent candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for the petitions are as follows:[5][7][11]
- For a candidate seeking statewide office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 1 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
- For candidates seeking any other office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 5 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
Petitions cannot be circulated for more than 180 days between the signing of the first signature and the last.[11]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate can only run in the general election. A candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she ran for the same office as a political party candidate in the immediately preceding primary election. A write-in candidate must file a notice of intention of write-in candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State no earlier than January 1 in the year of the election and no later than the first Monday in September in the year of the election. After the notice of intention is filed, a notice must also be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the state. Once this notice has been published, the candidate must file with the Georgia Secretary of State a copy of the published notice, as well as an affidavit stating that the notice has been published. The affidavit can be filled out by the candidate or by the publisher or an employee of the newspaper.[12]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Georgia State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
Georgia State Senate | Qualified party | N/A | $400.00 | 3/6/2020 | Source |
Georgia State Senate | Unaffiliated | 5% of registered voters residing in the district (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) | $400.00 | 8/14/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
According to the Georgia Constitution, Georgia Senators must be at least 25 years old, American citizens, Georgia citizens for at least two years and a resident of his or her Senatorial District for at least one year immediately preceding election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[13] | |
---|---|
Salary | Per diem |
$24,341.64/year | $247/day |
When sworn in
Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[14]
Redistricting in Georgia
- See also: Redistricting in Georgia
In Georgia, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. A simple majority in each chamber is required to approve redistricting plans, which are subject to veto by the governor.[15]
The Georgia Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no similar requirements for congressional districts.[15][16]
Georgia political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Georgia Party Control: 1992-2024
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in Georgia
2016 Presidential election results
U.S. presidential election, Georgia, 2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 45.6% | 1,877,963 | 0 | |
Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 50.8% | 2,089,104 | 16 | |
Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3% | 125,306 | 0 | |
- | Other/Write-in | 0.5% | 22,359 | 0 | |
Total Votes | 4,114,732 | 16 | |||
Election results via: Federal Election Commission |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[17][18]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In cities with a population greater than 300,000 people, polls remain open until 8 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[19]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of their county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election, and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.[20][21]
The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[20]
Automatic registration
In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.[22][23]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of August 2024, the law had not been implemented.[24][25][26]
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.
In Georgia, an individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information on a voter registration application is guilty of a felony.[27] [26]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[28] As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.[29]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
“ |
|
” |
Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.
Early voting
Georgia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. The ballot application deadline is 11 days before Election Day. A completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[32]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Qualifying Candidate Information," accessed March 10, 2020
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ District 4 incumbent Jack Hill passed away on April 6, 2020. Billy Hickman (R) won election to his seat in a special election on August 11 and is running for re-election.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-132," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-151," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-137," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-153," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-154," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-172," accessed February 4, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-170," accessed February 4, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-133," accessed February 3, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Constitution - Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 All About Redistricting, "Georgia," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ Georgia Constitution, "Article 3, Section 2," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "2023 Georgia Code § 21-2-224 - Registration deadlines; restrictions on voting in primaries; official list of electors; voting procedure when portion of county changed from one county to another," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
- ↑ Justia, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Registration Application," accessed November 14, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Vote by Absentee Ballot," accessed August 12, 2024