Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary and the General Primary Election have been combined into one event and the date has been pushed back to June because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  The move has caused some confusion for some voters.

Georgia election officials say one option is for voters to vote by absentee ballot – and applications for those ballots have been mailed out.  Remember, the Primary Election is for the political parties to choose their nominees for November.  In Chattooga County’s local races – the only contested races are in the Republican Primary.  Those races are the Chattooga County Commissioner’s race and the Chattooga County Probate Judge’s race.  The three Democrats who have qualified for office have no opposition in the June Primary.  So, if you want to vote for contested, LOCAL races in June, you should choose a Republican ballot; then in November you can vote for the candidate of your choice in either party.

The voter registration deadline for the June 9, 2020 election will be May 11, 2020. Early voting will begin on May 18, 2020. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-501, moving the primary election to June 9, 2020, will move the primary runoff to August 11, 2020. Pushing back the primary to June 9 gives Georgia election officials additional time to put in place contingency plans to allow for safe and secure voting, but pushing back the primary election any further could potentially have negative consequences on preparation for the November 3, 2020 General Election. Given existing deadlines to prepare and send ballots for the November election, particularly for military voters, moving forward on June 9 is the best way to ensure a successful election year in Georgia.

Absentee ballot applications for the upcoming primary election will continue to be accepted and processed by counties even if the application said May 19. Once county election officials properly verify the signature on the application, the voter will be sent an absentee ballot for the primary election now to be held on June 9.