What you need to know to vote Tuesday in Georgia

AJC ELECTION CENTRAL

Are you ready for Georgia's primary vote Tuesday? Log on to MyAJC.com/georgiapolitics for the latest election news, including these useful tools:

• Before casting your vote, look through a voters guide to see how your candidate answered questions and create your own customized ballot by visiting ajc.com/voterguide.
• An interactive page on the Senate race with info on each candidate, including bios, links to campaign ads, social media contact info, and more: MyAJC.com/2014senate.
• A page collecting all the Senate candidates' advertisements: MyAJC.com/senate/ad
• An updating graphic that tracks polls related to the Senate Republican primary: MyAJC.com/news/ga-senate-gop-primary-polls-2014.
• A full chart of candidates running for statewide offices and other voting resources
• The full results of the AJC's exclusive political poll, including how Georgia voters feel about the candidates, the Affordable Care Act, gun laws and more.

Georgia voters get their final say Tuesday as the polls open for Election Day. On tap: GOP challenges to Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, contested races in both parties for Congress, as well as state and local races. As you head out to cast your ballot, here’s a reminder about how the state’s primary system works and how to find out where to vote:

WHERE DO I VOTE?

Voters can see personalized sample ballots, verify their registration status and find polling locations on the secretary of state's "My Voter Page" website (www.mvp.sos.ga.gov). Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you mailed in an absentee ballot, you can also check that site to see whether it has been received.

Information about local elections can also be found on the state’s new “GA Votes” mobile apps. You can download the free apps for both Apple and Android operating systems using either the iTunes app store for an iPhone or iPad, or Google Play for Android.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

Georgia requires voters to show photo identification when they vote in person. Approved forms of identification include a Georgia driver’s license, even if it’s expired; a state-issued voter identification card; a valid U.S. passport; and a valid U.S. military photo ID.

WHY IT MATTERS

Fewer voters turn out in midterm elections such as Tuesday’s, meaning fewer voters have a greater say in choosing your public representative. In the 2010 midterm primary, for example, the state had 4.9 million total active registered voters. Only 1 million — or 22 percent — of them voted.

PICK A BALLOT

Because the state conducts an “open” primary, voters may vote on the 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 Republican ballot in the main primary but then vote in a Democratic runoff).

RUNOFFS

A number of races this year have more than two candidates, making runoff elections possible. That’s because Georgia requires election winners to receive more than 50 percent of the vote — you’ll often hear politicos refer to this margin as “50 percent plus one (vote).”

Georgia’s primary runoff this year is scheduled for July 22. Winners will move on to the Nov. 4 general election.