 Get ready to vote in the May 21 primary |
| Maybe you forgot your filial duties for Mother’s Day on Sunday, but you can still fulfill your civic duty to vote in the May 21 general primary. There are just four days left before early voting ends on Friday – or vote at your precinct on Election Day next Tuesday. Over 286,000 Georgians have already cast their ballots as of May 13. In-person early voting accounted for the lion’s share of those based on figures from May 11 shared by the Secretary of State’s Office, totaling 247,505 ballots – with 135,513 Republican, 107,919 Democratic, and 4,073 non-partisan ballots cast. Meanwhile, voters have cast 22,124 absentee ballots: 11,083 Republican, 10,832 Democratic, and 209 non-partisan. Atlanta Civic Circle partnered with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to launch Georgia Decides, an interactive voter guide for the May 21 general primary election. Find out who is on your ballot and how they responded to our candidate questionnaires. Just enter your address and choose whether you want a Republican, Democratic or nonpartisan ballot. As a reminder, use these links to see where and when you can vote early in the five-county metro Atlanta area through May 17: Cobb CountyClayton CountyDeKalb CountyFulton CountyGwinnett CountyYou can also check the Secretary of State’s website for early voting locations by county. |
 The Georgia Supreme Court race to watch |
| One of the most hotly contested races is for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court. Incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson has drawn a serious challenger in John Barrow, a former Athens-area Democratic congressman. It’s the first competitive election for the state’s highest court in decades — one which has raised both big bucks and eyebrows. Barrow has made abortion a central theme, attracting a complaint from the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission for signaling how he’d rule. That tactic, according to his critics, is challenging the norms for state judicial candidates’ political speech. Check out our story for more. |
 Gwinnett Decides – County Commission Chair |
| ACC and the AJC asked the candidates for Gwinnett County commission chair their top priority if elected. Here’s what they said: Nicole Love Hendrickson (D): Affordable housing is a top priority. I know a responsible data-driven approach can bring real results.Donna McLeod (D): Getting a housing plan for Gwinnett and a transportation plan that includes rail. The congestion on the road and in our schools is impacting our quality of life.Justice Nwaigwe (R): This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.John Sabic (R): Public safety. Hendrickson, the incumbent, and the Gwinnett County board of commissioners are actively exploring the possibility of a November referendum on expanding public transit in the county. Build your ballot using our Georgia Decides voter guide. |
 GALEO endorsements |
| The GALEO Impact Fund, which aims to grow Latino political power in Georgia, has announced its slate of endorsements of “progressive Latina/o” candidates. These range from Antonio Daza for Congress in District 11 to Abigail Guzman for the Gainesville City Council. They include endorsements for nine state legislative races and incumbent Athens District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez. |
 Note to our readers: Atlanta Civic Circle wants to know what local voters care about in the upcoming elections. Want to share your thoughts? Contact our Democracy reporter, Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, at alessandro@atlantaciviccircle.org. |
 VOTER PROFILE: SCOTTIE DENNIS, JR. Age: 39 Occupation: Landscape designer Neighborhood: Grove Park Political affiliation: Republican |
| Are you voting in the May 21 primary? Yes, I plan to vote on Election Day. I don’t like early voting – the lines are shorter in my experience on Election Day. How about the November general election? Absolutely. What’s one thing you wish elected officials understood about your life? I think our elected officials do understand what we do in our day- to- day life, because they were everyday citizens before they became elected officials. But they don’t understand that they get preferential treatment that we otherwise don’t get – and the law applies differently to everyone else. They have an elitist arrogance about them. What issues or local races are most important to you? The two most important races for me are the Fulton [County] Sheriff’s race and the District Attorney’s races. Because of crime and corruption. Corruption is bad, the jail is a mess, and DA Fani Willis is going after Trump, while there’s thousands of cases pending. It’s embarrassing. I will have to pull a Democratic ballot for the primary, because I have no other option if I want to see change. [Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat faces three challengers in the Democratic primary – Kirt Beasley, James “J.T.” Brown, and Joyce Farmer – but no Republican opposition. For the Fulton DA’s race, Willis (D) is facing Christian Wise Smith (D) and Courtney Kramer (R). Check our voter guide for their questionnaire responses. -Ed.] What other issues do you care about? Road maintenance. The roads have potholes everywhere. I feel like we are not getting a good return on our investment. Also – election integrity. Every elected official should want the public to trust them and trust the system. The optics of counting votes over several days sows mistrust. Whether there’s fraud or not — it looks bad that a first- world country can’t count their votes in a night. If Florida and Texas can do it in a night, so can Georgia. |
