Connect with us

Georgia

Here’s what to know about Georgia’s primary election on Tuesday

Published

on

Here’s what to know about Georgia’s primary election on Tuesday


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Just one day left until Georgians go to the polls for the May primary. Candidates are competing within their own party to win the right to compete for jobs in the November general election.

As of Friday, the final and busiest day of Georgia’s three-week early voting period, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office said around 513,000 people had already voted.

Some 65,000 of those voters cast absentee ballots, but because of delay issues at Georgia’s U.S. Post Office locations, officials recommend checking on the Secretary of State’s ballot tracker page to make sure your absentee ballot got where it needed to go.

“If it has not been accepted, make a plan to go to your polling location to vote on Tuesday,” said Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. “We were in really bad shape with the USPS but our office has really put the hammer down on them and they’ve put together an action plan, brought about 150 employees, redeployed them in the state and out of the state.”

Advertisement

As always, bring your ID to your polling place, and unlike early voting, make sure you go only to your assigned precinct to vote.

A number of big races are on ballots across metro Atlanta, perhaps none more so than in Fulton County.

Sheriff Patrick Labat is facing a number of challengers, even from some former deputies of his, as is Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing the election indictment case against former President Donald Trump. He faces a challenge from attorney and radio host Robert Patillo.

One of the day’s most-watched races will be for Fulton County district attorney. Incumbent Fani Willis, the prosecutor behind the election indictment case, is facing attorney Christian Wise Smith, who on Monday called for Willis’ immediate resignation. He said a U.S. Senate inquiry into Willis’ misuse of state and federal funds meant for a youth gang prevention program and sexual assault survivors program, while still only accusations, was troubling.

“The role of the district attorney is to protect the community in which it serves, not to steal resources intended to help rape victims and our youth,” said Wise Smith. “We need to get the office back on track.”

Advertisement

Another key race that will appear as non-partisan on all Georgian’s ballots is for a seat on the state Supreme Court. Incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson, an appointee of Gov. Brian Kemp, was endorsed by the governor at the Capitol on Monday.

Who is on the ballot in the Georgia 2024 primary?

The race has attracted attention after Pinson’s challenger, John Barrow, stated he’d rule to protect abortion rights if the state’s controversial six-week abortion ban comes before the court.

“We can keep a justice system that’s fair and impartial,” said Pinson. “Or we can have a system of partisan politicians in black robes.”

Advertisement



Source link

Georgia

Special election set for Georgia Senate District 7 seat in Gwinnett County

Published

on

Special election set for Georgia Senate District 7 seat in Gwinnett County


A special election has been set for voters in northern Gwinnett County to fill a vacant Georgia State Senate seat.

Advertisement

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced this week that a special election for Senate District 7 will be held on May 19, following the resignation of former Sen. Nabilah Parkes. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election is scheduled for June 16.

District 7 includes parts of northern Gwinnett County, covering communities such as Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford and Braselton, along with areas near Hog Mountain and Puckett.

Candidates looking to run must qualify later this month at the Secretary of State’s Elections Division office in downtown Atlanta. Qualifying will take place March 26, March 27 and March 30, with a $400 qualifying fee.

The deadline to register to vote in the special election is April 20, and early in-person voting is set to begin April 27.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Georgia

Special election called for Georgia Senate District 7 following resignation of Nabilah Parkes

Published

on

Special election called for Georgia Senate District 7 following resignation of Nabilah Parkes


Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced a special election to fill the vacant Georgia State Senate District 7 seat, following the resignation of Sen. Nabilah Parkes. 

Advertisement

The election is scheduled to take place on May 19, 2026, in Gwinnett County. 

Should a runoff be necessary, it will be held on June 16, 2026.

Candidates seeking to qualify for the special election can do so at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Elections Division, located at 2 MLK Jr. Dr., Floyd West Tower Suite 802, Atlanta, GA 30334. Qualifying will occur during the following dates and times:

  • Thursday, March 26, 2026: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Friday, March 27, 2026: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Monday, March 30, 2026: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The qualifying fee for candidates has been set at $400.00.

For voters wishing to participate in the special election, the last day to register is Monday, April 20, 2026. 

Advance in-person absentee voting will begin on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Advertisement

Further details and updates will be provided by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office as the election approaches.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Georgia

Georgia woman charged in abortion case granted bond as questions grow over murder charge

Published

on

Georgia woman charged in abortion case granted bond as questions grow over murder charge


A Georgia woman facing a rare murder charge tied to an alleged abortion has been granted bond.

Alexia Moore, 31, was granted bond Monday by a judge in Camden County, according to the Georgia Public Defender Council. The court set bond at $1 on the malice murder charge and $2,000 total for two drug-related charges.

Prosecutors agreed Moore was entitled to bond and to an amount she could reasonably pay, the public defender’s office said.

Moore had been jailed since early March after police accused her of taking pills to end a pregnancy in violation of Georgia law, which bans most abortions after about six weeks.

Advertisement

Authorities allege Moore was about 22 to 24 weeks pregnant when she went to a hospital in late December, reporting abdominal pain. According to an arrest warrant, she told medical staff she had taken misoprostol, a drug commonly used in medication abortions, along with oxycodone. Investigators said the fetus was delivered alive and survived for about an hour.

The case has drawn national attention because it could be one of the first times a woman in Georgia is prosecuted for murder in connection with ending a pregnancy since the state’s 2019 abortion law took effect.

In a statement, the Georgia Public Defender Council said the bond decision reflects the importance of due process.

“Today’s decision is a reminder that justice is not served by accusation alone,” the agency said. “Our system works best when courts carefully weigh the facts, uphold constitutional protections, and safeguard the rights of every person.”

Moore also faces charges of possessing controlled substances, including oxycodone and misoprostol.

Advertisement

The case comes as states across the country navigate legal questions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed states like Georgia to enforce stricter abortion laws.

Moore’s attorneys have also filed motions seeking a speedy trial as the case moves forward.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending