Walker County voters head to the polls today as Georgia wraps up one of the nation’s most closely watched primary elections, with all precincts across the county open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Election officials remind voters they must cast their ballot at their assigned precinct location and present a valid photo ID before voting. Residents who are unsure where to vote can contact the Walker County Elections Office at 706-638-4349 for assistance. To be eligible to vote, Georgians had to be registered by April 20.
The Georgia primary is drawing national attention as voters decide party nominees in competitive races for governor and the U.S. Senate, contests expected to shape the political landscape heading into the November midterm elections.
On the Republican side of the governor’s race, eight candidates are seeking the nomination to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. The field includes Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and healthcare executive Rick Jackson. Jones has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while Jackson has invested more than $83 million of his own money into the campaign.
Democrats are choosing among several high-profile candidates, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson and former Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond.
If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a June 16 runoff election.
Georgia voters are also selecting nominees for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, statewide constitutional offices, the General Assembly and Congress. Nonpartisan judicial races for the Georgia Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are also on the ballot.
In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, five candidates are competing for the chance to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. The GOP field includes U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, along with former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who has received Kemp’s endorsement.
Ossoff is unopposed in the Democratic primary, and national political observers view the race as one of the most important Senate contests in the country as Democrats attempt to regain control of the chamber.
As of Thursday, Georgia had approximately 8.1 million registered voters. Nearly 696,000 ballots had already been cast ahead of Election Day through early voting and absentee voting, including roughly 381,000 Democratic ballots and 305,000 Republican ballots.
Polls statewide close at 7 p.m., and counties are expected to begin reporting absentee and early voting totals shortly after voting ends.