After two delays, Georgia's primary is set for June 9. The Democratic presidential primary is no longer in question, but Georgians will still be able to weigh in on many other federal, state and local races.
We know it’s hard to focus these days on anything beyond the many ways the coronavirus has interrupted our lives.
But Democracy marches on and elections are fast approaching, so The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is ramping up its efforts to bring you the reporting you need to make informed choices.
Many of you are ready: A record number of Georgians have requested mail-in ballots, and thousands have already returned their votes.
But what does covering an election look like during a pandemic? Like everything else, the traditional forms of campaigning -- and campaign coverage -- have been upended. Candidates and their supporters aren’t knocking on doors or holding rallies. They are sending text messages, reaching out on social media and holding virtual town halls.
More of our reporting is done remotely now, but staffers such as veteran Greg Bluestein still venture out when they can do so safely in accordance with social-distancing guidelines. They are also constantly keeping tabs on sources by phone, text and video conferencing.
We continue to report campaign developments and events, such as the Atlanta Press Club virtual debates Sunday and Monday. We are collecting and publishing notices of virtual events so you can check out candidates for yourself.
We are covering tele-town halls, researching issues, and reaching out to candidates and voters. We’re asking candidates in our U.S. Senate and House primary races a series of questions on the most pressing issues and will publish their answers soon in an easy-to-digest format.
What hasn’t changed? Our responsibility to vet candidates and provide voters with the information you need to evaluate your choices. We are backgrounding candidates, tracking campaign contributions, and writing about the issues and trends as they develop.
We are also continuing to focus intensely on voting issues in Georgia.
We want to make it easy for you to stay on top of the latest election news. Our politics section on AJC.com is a good place to start. You can sign up for our weekly elections newsletter, and subscribers can sign up for the Morning Jolt newsletter, which is curated by veteran political columnist Jim Galloway. And don't miss the Politically Georgia podcast, hosted by Bluestein. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify
Susan Potter is the senior editor of the AJC's State Government and Politics Team. She has led political coverage at the AJC for more than 12 years. Email her at susan.potter@ajc.com
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