Ballot questions offer glimpse of Georgia Democratic priorities
Affordable housing. Expanded voter rights. New gun restrictions. Abortion rights protections.
Georgia Democrats are including eight policy questions on ballots for the May 21 primaries that offer a glimpse of the party’s election-year priorities.
The questions are nonbinding, meaning they can only be used to measure support for policies and won’t result in a change in law or carry legal weight. Still, they serve as informal measures of popular opinion.
The Georgia Republican and Democratic parties choose these questions for each of their ballots.
The Democratic slate includes queries on “common-sense gun safety reforms,” new green energy incentives, raising the minimum wage and a constitutional ban on slavery.
Each of the questions is typically worded by the parties to deliver a “yes” vote. In 2018, for instance, Democrats overwhelmingly backed Medicaid expansion, substantial mass transit spending and banning bump stocks. Republicans four years later supported eliminating ballot drop boxes.
But sometimes the questions yield surprising results, like in 2012 when a slim majority of GOP voters voiced support for casino gambling.
Here are the Democratic ballot questions:
· Should the United States and the State of Georgia protect Georgians from gun violence by banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, closing background check loopholes, and passing other common-sense gun safety reforms?
· Should the State of Georgia incentivize clean energy production as part of a climate policy that recognizes the urgent threat that climate change poses to Georgians’ health, lives and future?
· Should the State of Georgia expand voter access by allowing same-day voter registration, removing obstacles to voting by mail, and making secure ballot drop boxes accessible at all times through Election Day?
· Should the State of Georgia protect reproductive freedom by repealing the current six-week abortion ban, restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade and ensuring access to contraceptives, IVF, abortion and other reproductive health care?
· Should the State of Georgia stop using taxpayer dollars intended for public education to pay for private school vouchers?
· Should the State of Georgia raise the minimum wage to a living wage?
· Should the portion of the Georgia state constitution allowing for involuntary servitude of prisoners and others convicted of offenses be repealed, thus prohibiting all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude statewide?
· Should the State of Georgia improve access to safe, affordable housing by increasing the affordable housing supply, protecting tenants’ rights to habitable living conditions, and cracking down on negligence or abuse by property management companies or landlords?
Election 2024 includes two primaries
The 2024 election year will include two primaries for voters in metro Atlanta and Georgia. The presidential primary is set for March 12, one week after Super Tuesday primaries in a number of states.
The second primary in Georgia will be May 21 for candidates seeking state and local offices and U.S. Congress. The ballot will also include candidates for county commission and the Georgia Legislature, among others, and some local referendums.
Presidential primary information: Candidate Issues Guide | Where do I vote?
Here are key dates for the state and local primary:
- March 4-8: Candidates file paperwork to qualify for the primary. See an updated list of candidates who have submitted paperwork.
- March 4: The first date voters can request absentee ballots.
- April 22: Voter registration deadline.
- April 29: Early in-person voting begins.
- May 21: Election day for the state and local primary. Runoff date would be June 18.
Learn more: Follow state and congressional election news, and the presidential race, on our Politics page. News about city and county elections is on the Metro Atlanta page. Coverage and information will also be found in AJC print and ePaper editions.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
