The polls are open in Georgia on Tuesday as voters decide the marquee governor’s race, two competitive U.S. House seats in suburban Atlanta, a slate of statewide candidates and a bevy of down-ticket legislative contests.
At the top of the ticket is the nationally-watched race for governor between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams, which has attracted more than $100 million in spending and a pair of presidents.
The next governor will control a trove of appointments, hold agenda-setting influence over the budget and state policy, take a firm hand in the redrawing of political maps, and possess an ear-splitting bully pulpit.
The outcome has broader implications, explaining why every potential presidential hopeful has dutifully visited Georgia. Conservatives are desperate to keep Georgia's 16 electoral votes in the GOP column; liberals are anxious for proof that one of their own can fare better than centrist Democrats of yore.
And it's also generated an unprecedented surge of voter participation for this type of contest, as both candidates try to inspire voter turnout befitting a presidential election rather than a milder midterm.
About 2.1 million early ballots have already been cast, and nearly two dozen counties have already exceeded their entire 2014 vote total. At least one-third of them have come from voters who didn’t vote four years ago, in both Republican strongholds and Democratic bastions.
Also on the ballot is a pair of Republican-held U.S. House districts in fast-changing northern suburbs targeted by Democrats, and more than a dozen state legislative seats in competitive territory.
Democrats are stressing their support for new gun control restrictions and expansion of Medicaid. Republicans have emphasized the strong economy, their support for law enforcement and ties to outgoing Gov. Nathan Deal.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voters who are in line before the polls close will be allowed to cast their ballot. Each registered voter should bring photo ID and your polling location can be found by clicking here.
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