r/Georgia • • 7d ago

Politics Georgia Voting Guide 2026

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169 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 • • 3d ago

Politics [Megathread] Weekly Political Organizing Thread

10 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 • • 15h ago

Politics We Now Have Two Days Of Georgia Early Vote: ~190,000 In Person Votes On Tuesday And ~174,000 On Wednesday | Black Vote Share Is A Record 34%

491 Upvotes

Looking at the county numbers we definitely see Republicans underperforming. This is relevant because usually Dem counties, in GA and every other state, like VA, pick up a lot near the end, especially if the highly populous counties open up new voting locations for the end of the voting period.

Also in Georgia the election day vote is usually better for Democrats than in other states because their voters vote later than you'd expect due to demographics.

Everyone needs to keep showing up, talking to everyone they know, and wearing their I Voted stickers around to encourage others in the community.


r/Georgia • • 3h ago

Politics How do I vote?

40 Upvotes

So yeah this might not be that uncommon but I've never voted in my life and I'm now 40 yrs old and care about the way things are going in our country and want to be able to throw my 1 vote in. Is there a way to find out what elections are happening and where we can vote? I'm totally clueless as far as this kinda stuff goes so if you're going to roast me in the comments you'll have plenty of material. I did find out that somehow I was already registered to vote in Georgia


r/Georgia • • 20h ago

News Article Georgia voters smash early voting record

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743 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 15h ago

Politics Georgia, our young people are speaking and we need to listen.

218 Upvotes

Georgia Power is harming our climate with fossil fuels, and the Public Service Commission is letting them get away with it. We can help fix this by electing people who will stand up to Georgia Power and promote clean energy like solar.

37 students from around Georgia participated in this video series to spread awareness of this issue. Please watch the videos to learn about the harm Georgia Power is doing and how our votes can help. It will only take 15 minutes of your time. Thank you.

https://igiveadamn.org/videos


r/Georgia • • 17h ago

Politics Why are republicans always at the top of the ballot?

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234 Upvotes

Regardless of incumbent or not why is the republicans always at the top?


r/Georgia • • 16m ago

Question Will MARTA become a state level thing ever?

• 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?


r/Georgia • • 21h ago

Politics Georgia Supreme Court skeptical of GOP bid to force election deniers onto Fulton County board

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164 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 41m ago

Question Netherworld vs Terror Mills Haunted House

• Upvotes

Hey all! I'm trying to pick between going to Netherworld vs Terror Mills Haunted house. I went to Netherworld as a teenager and dont remember it being all that scary. Is Terror Mills better? I know as an adult Haunted Houses are more for fun and games, but I still would like some good jump scares. If it makes any difference, I'm going with my S/O and it is their first time going to a Haunted House, I want it to be good for them!


r/Georgia • • 16h ago

Question Anyone else see a free falling parachute around 6:50PM Cumming Area?

47 Upvotes

I was looking up at the sky and saw a parachuter and jokingly said "What if he just started free falling" and then a gust of wind looked like it inverted his parachute below him and he got caught in a insane fast spiral that went from like 500 to 100 in 3 seconds and just like that he was behind the treeline and I didnt see him. Then right on the side of the highway I see a parachute going insanely fast right above a gas station. I didnt catch the landing but I just was wondering if anyone else saw or has any information.


r/Georgia • • 4h ago

Question Blue Ridge/Morganton restaurant help

4 Upvotes

My wife and I are taking my daughter and four of her friends to the mountains for her 16th birthday this weekend. We are going to try and go out to dinner on Saturday. Any good suggestions for Italian or something that is nice but not overly pricey. Thank you.


r/Georgia • • 18h ago

Discussion Furys Ferry Road (Hwy 28) Widening Errors

14 Upvotes

I talked with a GDOT worker about the Furys Ferry Road widening errors in Evans, GA.

I said that the left turning lane from Furys Ferry Road (SR 28 southbound/eastbound) to Malone Way (at Whitney Drive intersection) is marked as a u-turn lane instead of the left turning lane, that error needs to be fixed. Also the white sign (for lane split) on Furys Ferry Road (SR 28 northbound/westbound) towards (actually next to the yield sign at) Hardy McManus Road is too small that is hard to see from a far distance, especially for people on the left lane. If the project is complete and people in the left lane want to stay of SR 28 (soon SC 28) north after the roundabout, most drivers will miss seeing the sign, which can cause illegal lane changing during going through the roundabout, which can also cause multiple accidents. I also told them that putting big green guide signs (also showing lane split) located advanced away from the roundabout can help drivers being warned about the upcoming lane split before approaching the roundabout.

They respond to me with a bad attitude saying their paper planning map shows Malone Way neighborhood does not exist, therefore they were contracted to put that turn left lane as a u-turn lane. And they say that small white sign is a normal sized GDOT standard road sign.

I did submit a form to GDOT, but I don’t know if they would respond or do anything about it.


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Georgia early voting exceeds 148,000 ballots(currently 196,000 actually)

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873 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Traffic/Weather Heads up: Trump landing at Dobbins to go to Dalton.

121 Upvotes

From approximately Friday noon till 4pm. Unless he has functions in both locations, based on the flight restrictions now posted, it appears he's landing at Dobbins and going to Dalton. Hopefully via Marine One, but possibly via motorcade. Either way, expect traffic issues in the region.


r/Georgia • • 1d ago

News Article Restoring mussels to their home in North Georgia’s Conasauga River

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16 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 1d ago

News Article 500 on hunger strike at Georgia immigration detention center

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379 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 1d ago

Politics Keisha Lance Bottoms debates alone

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164 Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 2d ago

Politics Go Vote!

278 Upvotes

Just finished early voting in Chatham Co. The place was busy but they kept the line running smoothly.

There was no intimidation from anyone towards anyone, no aggression, or tomfoolery anywhere. There actually wasn't much chatter among people at all. It was comfortable and easy.


r/Georgia • • 2d ago

Question What is this?

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539 Upvotes

Saw this just now (6:35ish) above Milton. The dot on the left was slowly moving left, leave the bright stuff in its wake. What the heck is it?


r/Georgia • • 2d ago

Politics Today Is The First Day Of In-Person Early Voting(IPEV) In Georgia, Feel Free To Discuss Here Or Report On Lines At Your Precinct

170 Upvotes

I've followed Georgia EV for a long time. It has a lot to tell us about the final results. I'm expecting at least 3.2 million early votes this year, but it could go as high as 3.8 million. In 2024 IPEV+Mail was ~4,000,000. Unlikely to get that high this time but we will see.

We saw 1.9mil in 2018 and 2.3mil in 2022. 2.7mil in 2020. I expect the number could be much higher this year.

But depending on the first week I might revise my projection to be more EDay heavy.

If you see big lines while out voting today, be fascinated to hear what county.

Iirc there were ~150,000 EVs on the first day of 2022 statewide. Given that 2024 had way more early votes than 2020, wonder if we can crack 300k.


r/Georgia • • 15h ago

Question How is it living/going to school in Cumming , GA as a person of color

0 Upvotes

I am a African American woman that will be going to school in Cumming , GA and I wanted to know how is it to live , work and go to school there. I won't be living in Cumming but close to it (Alpharetta). I ask this question because when I did bring it up to my parents they mentioned it being a sundown town and told me about the Forsyth County tensions in the 1980s but I have friends who are white , African/African American and South Asian that told me it's not like that or you'll be okay but if you're in certain areas (it makes me feel uneasy). Can anyone tell me how it is to living in Cumming,GA as a minority?


r/Georgia • • 2d ago

Other What is this?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

185 Upvotes

Just saw this outside before taking the kids to the bus. It’s also 6:38am. We’re in Powder Springs/Marietta GA. Please don’t mind the kids in the video haha

We are near a military base so guessing it’s something related to that?


r/Georgia • • 2d ago

News Article Man dies after falling off roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, police and witnesses say

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1.1k Upvotes

r/Georgia • • 2d ago

Picture [OC] Gas War in Georgia Tonight. The lowest price before the 2 stations ran out was 1.09 and 1.10

198 Upvotes

No its not AI it was in powder springs. 2 small local gas stations that regularly troll each other decided to have a gas war. When I went gas was 1.24 then dropped to 1.19. It was crazy. A full tank for 15 dollars.

(Also if it says screenshot I took the screenshot from a video I took on my ig)