Q: I would like to change my party affiliation from one of the major political parties to independent. Is that possible in Georgia? I've been told that if I do, I wouldn't be able to participate in any primaries.
—Greg Cornnor, Stone Mountain
A: Georgia doesn't require voters to register their party affiliation with the state, Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, told Q&A on the News. "In a primary, anybody can vote for any candidate they choose," he said. Carrothers said when Georgia voters arrive to vote, they mark a box on the voting certificate to select which ballot they would like to receive. "You go in, mark a box on the sheet, and you're done," he said. He added that if someone votes for one party in a primary, and there's a runoff in the other party, that person can't vote in the runoff.
Q: Tracy Reed, the brother of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, was accused of a number of traffic violations in 2011. Was he ever punished or paid a fine?
—Jerry Greenway, Grayson
A: Tracy Reed's ticket for driving without a valid driver's license was dismissed because he now has one, attorney Robert Highsmith told the AJC in an email. Tracy Reed resigned from his job with Atlanta's Office of Contract Compliance on Nov. 4 after it was discovered that he had violated city policy by taking a city-owned vehicle home overnight and for driving with a suspended license. Police stopped him on May 4 and Oct. 28 last year and discovered that his license had been suspended before expiring in 2006.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Jeremiah McWilliams contributed. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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