r/Georgia • u/happy_bluebird • 5d ago
Politics Georgia Voting Guide 2026
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
- GALEO (Latino Community Development Fund). Latino-led nonpartisan group that registers voters and runs civic education across Georgia.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Atlanta. Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights group that does voter registration, education and protection.
- Black Voters Matter Fund. Atlanta-based, Black-led group that registers and turns out voters, especially in rural Georgia.
r/Georgia • u/AutoModerator • 18h ago
Politics [Megathread] Weekly Political Organizing Thread
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.
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Thank you!
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Question Georgia Power rebates
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