(The Center Square) — When Georgians head to the polls for this month’s primary, voters casting ballots in the Democratic or Republican primaries will face several questions that could influence lawmakers’ actions moving forward.
More than 100,000 Georgians have already cast ballots in advance of the May 21 general primary and special elections. said his office has focused on “election security and user experience.”
“From upgrading poll pads to implementing a new voter registration system, we’ve worked tirelessly to enhance voting up and down the line,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “Georgia voters can trust that their elected representatives are chosen only by American citizens, casting their votes on secure paper ballots.”
“Voters will have a wonderful experience at the polls in 2024,” Raffensperger added. “In most cases they will be out in under two minutes, and have confidence in the process thanks to the hard work of election officials across Georgia.”
One of this election’s highest-profile races may be for a nonpartisan seat on the Supreme Court of Georgia. While Justices Michael Boggs, John Ellington and Nels Peterson are running unopposed for seats on the state’s highest court, Justice Andrew Pinson, appointed to the court in 2022 by Gov. Brian Kemp, faces a challenge from former Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow.
Stephen Dillard, Ken Hodges, Ben Land, Amanda H. Mercier, Brian M. Rickman and Jeffrey A. Watkins are running unopposed for re-election to their nonpartisan seats on the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Jeff Davis and Tabitha Ponder will face off to succeed M. Yvette Miller, who was appointed to the post by former Gov. Roy Barnes and is retiring.
However, the most telling choices may be in the Democrats’ and Republicans’ state party questions, the outcomes of which could influence how state lawmakers proceed next year and beyond.
Democrats’ questions range from gun violence to whether to allow same-day voter registration to whether the state should incentivize clean energy production, while Republicans are asking about subjects that include illegal immigration, whether the state should use hand-marked paper ballots for elections and moving toward the FairTax instead of an income tax.
May 2024 Primary Questions
| Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|
| Should the United States and the State of Georgia protect Georgians from gun violence by banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, closing background check loopholes, and passing other common-sense gun safety reforms? | For future elections, do you want hand marked paper ballots, scanned and verified by hand count on live stream video? |
| Should the State of Georgia incentivize clean energy production as part of a climate policy that recognizes the urgent threat that climate change poses to Georgians’ health, lives and future? | Should the legislature enact the FairTax replacing the state income tax and state sales tax with a consumption tax equal to current state funding and taxing no legal citizen or family up to the poverty level of spending? |
| Should the State of Georgia expand voter access by allowing same-day voter registration, removing obstacles to voting by mail, and making secure ballot drop boxes accessible at all times through Election Day? | Should the legislature ban registered lobbyists from serving on the State Elections Board? |
| Should the State of Georgia protect reproductive freedom by repealing the current six-week abortion ban, restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade and ensuring access to contraceptives, IVF, abortion and other reproductive health care? | Should the Georgia Republican Primary have a closed primary, meaning that only registered Republicans would be allowed to vote in the Republican Primary? |
| Should the State of Georgia stop using taxpayer dollars intended for public education to pay for private school vouchers? | Should public officials who allow illegal migration to occur be held responsible for crimes committed by illegal aliens? |
| Should the State of Georgia raise the minimum wage to a living wage? | Would you support a statewide vote to allow gaming in Georgia so the voters can decide this issue instead of politicians in Atlanta? |
| Should the portion of the Georgia state constitution allowing for involuntary servitude of prisoners and others convicted of offenses be repealed, thus prohibiting all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude statewide? | Currently, hundreds of thousands of hours and dollars are spent every year cleaning up voter rolls. Would you support an amendment to the National Voting Rights Act that would require registered voters to renew their registration every four years? |
| Should the State of Georgia improve access to safe, affordable housing by increasing the affordable housing supply, protecting tenants’ rights to habitable living conditions, and cracking down on negligence or abuse by property management companies or landlords? | Do you believe unelected and unaccountable international bureaucrats, like the UN controlled World Health Organization (WHO), should have complete control over management of future pandemics in the United States and authority to regulate your healthcare and personal health choices? |
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
