Georgia holds primary elections for local offices

Florida Times-Union. Image source: www.jacksonville.com

May 15, 2024 Story by: Editor

Primary elections offer voters the opportunity to choose which candidates will compete in the general election. These elections can be either nonpartisan or partisan. In partisan primaries, voters select candidates they prefer for their political party to nominate in the general election.

The rules for primary elections differ across states and can even vary within states depending on locality and political party. For instance, only registered party members can vote in closed primaries, while both registered party members and unaffiliated voters can vote in semi-closed primaries. Open primaries allow all eligible voters to participate regardless of party affiliation.

Primary election outcomes are determined using various methods. Majority systems require a candidate to secure at least fifty percent of the votes to win, while plurality systems do not. In top-two, top-four, and blanket primaries, all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of their party affiliation.

Key Points

• In Georgia, primary elections are open to all voters, regardless of their party affiliation.
• A candidate must receive a majority of votes to win a primary election. If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff primary is held between the top two candidates.

Background Information

Primary elections can vary significantly based on two main criteria:

• Rules of Participation: In partisan primaries, who can vote in a party’s primary? Participation can be limited to registered party members or open to unaffiliated voters and members of other parties. The three primary participation models in the U.S. are open primaries, closed primaries, and semi-closed primaries.
• Methods for Determining Outcomes: What percentage of votes must a candidate receive to advance to the general election? Methods include plurality voting systems, majority voting systems, top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries.

Rules of Participation

Participation rules in primary elections vary widely. The three basic models are:

• Open Primaries: Voters do not need to formally affiliate with a party to vote in its primary. They can declare their affiliation at the polls on primary day.
• Closed Primaries: Voters must formally affiliate with a party in advance to participate in its primary.
• Semi-Closed Primaries: Unaffiliated voters can choose which party’s primary to vote in, while voters affiliated with a party cannot vote in another party’s primary.

Methods for Determining Outcomes

Methods for determining the outcome of primary elections include:

• Plurality Voting System: The candidate with the most votes wins, without needing an outright majority.
• Majority Voting System: A candidate must win more than 50 percent of the votes. If no candidate achieves this, a runoff is held between the top two vote-getters.
• Top-Two Primaries: All candidates are listed on the same ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
• Top-Four Primaries: Similar to top-two, but the top four vote-getters advance to the general election.
• Blanket Primaries: All candidates are listed on the same ballot, with the top vote-getter from each party advancing to the general election.

Georgia’s Primary Election Systems

In Georgia, all voters can participate in any political party’s primary, regardless of their own party affiliation. To win a primary, a candidate must secure a majority of the votes. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff primary is held between the top two candidates.

Georgia law mandates primary elections to nominate candidates for various offices, including congressional and state-level positions. The table below lists the offices for which primary elections are required. Source: BALLOT PEDIA

State Legislation and Ballot Measures

The following table lists bills related to primary elections introduced during the current legislative session in Georgia. It includes the state, bill number, official name or caption, most recent action date, legislative status, and topics covered by the bill..

Table source: ballotpedia.org