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.”

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.”

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.”

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