The anti-establishment groundswell that propelled insurgent candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders to the national forefront has undoubtedly been the defining political story of the year. But Georgia voters hitting the polls Tuesday will decide whether that same dissatisfaction with the status quo extends to its representatives in Congress and the Georgia General Assembly.
The party nominations for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by two-term incumbent Johnny Isakson are up for grabs Tuesday. The same goes for all 14 U.S. House seats, although there are only two competitive primaries on the Democratic side, while seven Republican-held seats have competitive contests. Several are likely headed to runoff elections in July.
In addition, there are dozens of state legislative races with two or more candidates in both parties on the ballot Tuesday, as well as one state Public Service Commission contest.
Voters will also weigh in at the local level, casting ballots on candidates, as well as education special purpose local-option sales taxes, or E-SPLOSTS.
Here’s a closer look at some of the top races and details on how to vote.
U.S. Senate
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson faces two lesser-known challengers: Mary Kay Bacallao and Derrick Grayson. Isakson is expected to trounce the two despite middling approval ratings and questions about his Parkinson's disease.
On the Democratic side, Jim Barksdale, Cheryl Copeland and John Coyne face off. Barksdale, a millionaire equity fund manager and political rookie, is his party's preferred candidate and is seeking to avoid a runoff with his two opponents, both of whom are running shoestring campaigns.
U.S. House
Three Republican primaries have dominated the news: the 3rd, 9th and 11th. In the 3rd, retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland has seven Republicans and two Democrats vying to replace him in Georgia's only open congressional contest. A runoff is likely on the GOP side. Two Democrats are also vying for their party's nomination.
In the 9th, incumbent Republican Doug Collins has four primary opponents, including former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun. Collins badly wants to avoid a runoff, as no Democrat qualified to run in November.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk also has four opponents in the Republican primary for the 11th District. The freshman lawmaker, like Collins, has taken heat over a few key votes over the past 18 months.
Elsewhere, incumbent Republicans Austin Scott (8th District), Rick Allen (12th) and Tom Graves (14th) also have primary opponents. Two Democrats are likewise battling for the nomination in the 12th.
The U.S. House races will be closely watched nationally for any upsets. Only one congressional incumbent has lost so far this year, indicating there may be limits to the anti-Washington rhetoric displayed on the presidential trail.
Georgia Legislature
Many Republican lawmakers are getting pounded in their primaries for voting last year to raise taxes for a sweeping transportation funding plan for road and bridge improvements statewide. Among the top races to watch, Republican House Speaker David Ralston of Blue Ridge for a second time faces a challenge from retired wrestling coach Sam Snider. State Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, has been on the defensive from Milton investor Aaron Barlow.
And two legislative House districts in and around Brookhaven, Chamblee and Doraville could be a case study on how delicately some candidates must treat changing political demographics and hot-button social issues.
Majority leaders in the House and Senate both have primary opponents, as do a dozen committee chairmen.
Local
Voters can also cast ballots Tuesday on key races at the local level.
In Cobb County, the primary election will likely determine the county's next commission chairman. The incumbent, Tim Lee, faces a challenge from retired Marine Col. Mike Boyce and retired businessman Larry Savage.
DeKalb County, which has operated under an interim CEO for three years, will see three candidates running for the county's top job in the Democratic primary — Joe Bembry, Connie Stokes and Michael Thurmond. The winner will face Republican Jack Lovelace in the fall.
Two other big races in DeKalb are for district attorney and sheriff.
In the sheriff's race, the incumbent, Jeff Mann, is running against four challengers with experience in law enforcement: Geraldine Champion, Ted Golden, Kyle Jones and Michael Williams. The winner will face off against Republican Harold Dennis in November.
Voters in DeKalb and Fulton counties will also go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether a 1-penny sales tax will continue to fund new school construction and renovations, upgraded technology, new buses and other capital projects.
In Fulton, an E-SPLOST is expected to raise about $976 million for school projects over a five-year period. Atlanta Public Schools, which is primarily located in Fulton County, is proposing more than $464 million in SPLOST-funded projects.
In DeKalb, an E-SPLOST is expected to bring in an estimated $500 million, and the school system plans to use the money to address overcrowded school clusters and renovations to several outdated schools. The school sales tax is also up for a vote Tuesday in the city of Decatur.
Voting
More than 329,000 Georgia voters cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday's primaries, a big jump from two years ago.
Voters can find sample ballots and confirm polling locations through the Georgia Secretary of State Office's online "my voter page" website (www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do).
When you head out to vote, don’t forget to bring photo identification, which can include a Georgia driver’s license, even if it’s expired; a state-issued voter identification card; a valid U.S. passport; or a valid U.S. military photo ID.
Ballots
Because the state conducts an “open” primary, voters may vote on a ballot of any party — you make your choice at the polls. You cannot, however, vote in more than one party’s primary.
So, once you pick a ballot, you have to stick with that same political party even if there is a runoff (in other words, you can’t cast a Democratic ballot in the main primary but then vote in a Republican runoff).
Runoffs
A number of primary races this year have more than two candidates, making runoff elections possible. That’s because Georgia requires election winners to receive a majority of the vote — you’ll often hear politicos refer to this margin as “50 percent plus one (vote).” If any runoff is needed, it would be held July 26.
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