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Democratic Party primaries in Georgia, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9[1]
- Early voting: Oct. 15 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Two key Democratic primaries in the 6th and 7th Congressional Districts advanced to runoffs in May 22 primaries because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targeted both Republican incumbents who held the seats in the November general elections.[2]
Click on the links below to see full coverage of the July 24 runoffs:
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[3][4]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[5] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[6][7][8]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[9]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Georgia on May 22, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Georgia's 6th Congressional District election (July 24, 2018 Democratic primary runoff)
- Georgia's 7th Congressional District election (July 24, 2018 Democratic primary runoff)
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)
Federal elections
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 2
Democratic primary candidates- Sanford Bishop Jr. (Incumbent) ✔
District 3
Democratic primary candidates
District 4
Democratic primary candidates- Hank Johnson (Incumbent) ✔
- Juan Parks
District 5
Democratic primary candidates- John Lewis (Incumbent) ✔
District 6
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 7
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 8
Democratic primary candidatesNo candidates filed for the Democratic Party primary.
District 9
Democratic primary candidates
District 10
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 11
Democratic primary candidates = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 12
Democratic primary candidates
District 13
Democratic primary candidates- David Scott (Incumbent) ✔
District 14
Democratic primary candidatesState elections
Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
Lieutenant gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
Attorney general election
Democratic primary candidates
Secretary of state election
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Georgia
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Georgia's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Georgia revenue, 2011 to 2016[10][11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $754,164.50 | $676,352.61 | $1,430,517.11 |
| 2012 | $1,317,265.16 | $1,053,950.27 | $2,371,215.43 |
| 2013 | $762,212.50 | $780,363.46 | $1,542,575.96 |
| 2014 | $5,830,525.58 | $4,739,911.70 | $10,570,437.28 |
| 2015 | $745,984.59 | $715,752.65 | $1,461,737.24 |
| 2016 | $5,008,415.28 | $3,104,430.84 | $8,112,846.12 |
Georgia compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Georgia was one of three states to hold a primary election on May 22, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[12][13]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In cities with a population greater than 300,000 people, polls remain open until 8 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[14]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of their county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election, and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.[15][16]
The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[15]
Automatic registration
In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.[17][18]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.[19][20][21]
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.
In Georgia, an individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information on a voter registration application is guilty of a felony.[22] [21]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[23] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.[24]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
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Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.
Early voting
Georgia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. The ballot application deadline is 11 days before Election Day. A completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[27]
See also
| Federal primaries in Georgia | State primaries in Georgia | Georgia state party apparatus | Georgia voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The registration deadline was extended to October 16, 2018, in Clay, Grady, Randolph, and Turner counties by executive order of Gov. Nathan Deal in response to Hurricane Michael.
- ↑ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "Majority Makers," accessed April 27, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, "Campaign Reports—Name Search," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Georgia Republican Party, Inc. and Democratic Party of Georgia)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Georgia Republican Party and Georgia Federal Elections Committee)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "2023 Georgia Code § 21-2-224 - Registration deadlines; restrictions on voting in primaries; official list of electors; voting procedure when portion of county changed from one county to another," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
- ↑ Justia, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Registration Application," accessed November 14, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Vote by Absentee Ballot," accessed August 12, 2024
