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Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)

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Georgia Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 9, 2018
Primary: May 22, 2018
Primary runoff: July 24, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
General runoff: December 4, 2018 (if needed)
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Brian Kemp (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Georgia
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Georgia
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Agriculture commissioner
Insurance commissioner
Labor commissioner
Superintendent of public instruction
Public service commissioner

A Republican Party primary election took place on May 22, 2018, in Georgia to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, secretary of state election. Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates advanced to a runoff election on July 24, 2018.

For more information about secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the election, the sitting secretary of state was Brian Kemp (R), who was first appointed to the position on January 8, 2010, following the resignation of Karen Handel (R) to focus on her run for governor. Kemp was elected to a full term in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Kemp announced on March 31, 2017, that he would not seek election to a third full term in 2018, choosing instead to run for governor.
  • Georgia was under a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since 2005, when Republicans gained a majority in the Georgia House of Representatives. Georgia was also a Republican triplex.
  • Georgia was won by the Republican candidate in each of the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was George W. Bush's 17 percent margin in 2004, while the narrowest were John McCain's and Donald Trump's 5 percent margins in 2008 and 2016.

    • Candidates and election results

    Brad Raffensperger and David Belle Isle advanced to a runoff. They defeated Joshua McKoon and Buzz Brockway in the Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Brad Raffensperger
    		Brad Raffensperger
     
    35.0
     
    		185,386
    ✔
    Image of David Belle Isle
    		David Belle Isle
     
    28.5
     
    		151,328
    Image of Joshua McKoon
    		Joshua McKoon
     
    21.1
     
    		112,113
    Image of Buzz Brockway
    		Buzz Brockway
     
    15.4
     
    		81,492

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

    		Total votes: 530,319
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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    Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: Georgia secretary of state election, 2014

    Brian Kemp ran for re-election as secretary of state of Georgia in the 2014 election. Kemp was unopposed in the Republican primary.[2]

    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.[3][4]

    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.[5]

    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.[6][7]

    The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[6]

    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.[8][9]

    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

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    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.[10][11][12]

    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.[13] [12]

    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.[14] 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.[15]

    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.

    “
    • Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
    • A Georgia driver's license, even if expired
    • Student ID from a Georgia public College or University[16]
    • Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state
    • Valid U.S. passport ID
    • Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter
    • Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter[15][17]
    		 ”

    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.[18]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Georgia heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. They had a 114-64 majority in the state House and a 37-19 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    2018 elections

    See also: Georgia elections, 2018

    Georgia held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Georgia
     GeorgiaU.S.
    Total population:10,199,398316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):57,5133,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:60.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:30.9%12.6%
    Asian:3.6%5.1%
    Native American:0.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2.1%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:9.1%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:85.4%86.7%
    College graduation rate:28.8%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$49,620$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:21.1%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Georgia.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2017, Georgia's three largest cities were Atlanta (pop. est. 470,000), Columbus (pop. est. 200,000), and Augusta (pop. est. 200,000).[19][20]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Georgia from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Georgia Secretary of State.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Georgia every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), Georgia 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 51.1% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 45.9% 5.2%
    2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 53.3% Democratic Party Barack Obama 45.5% 7.8%
    2008 Republican Party John McCain 52.2% Democratic Party Barack Obama 47.0% 5.2%
    2004 Republican Party George Bush 58.0% Democratic Party John Kerry 41.4% 16.6%
    2000 Republican Party George Bush 55.0% Democratic Party Al Gore 43.2% 11.8%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Georgia from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), Georgia 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Johnny Isakson 54.8% Democratic Party Jim Barksdale 41.0% 13.8%
    2014 Republican Party David Perdue 52.9% Democratic Party Michelle Nunn 45.2% 7.7%
    2010 Republican Party Johnny Isakson 58.3% Democratic Party Mike Thurmond 39.0% 19.3%
    2008 Republican Party Saxby Chambliss 49.8% Democratic Party Jim Martin 46.8% 3.0%
    2004 Republican Party Johnny Isakson 57.9% Democratic Party Denise Majette 40.0% 17.9%
    2002 Republican Party Saxby Chambliss 52.8% Democratic Party Max Cleland 45.9% 6.9%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Georgia.

    Election results (Governor), Georgia 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Republican Party Nathan Deal 52.8% Democratic Party Jason Carter 44.9% 7.9%
    2010 Republican Party Nathan Deal 53.0% Democratic Party Roy Barnes 43.0% 10.0%
    2006 Republican Party Sonny Perdue 57.9% Democratic Party Mark Taylor 38.2% 19.7%
    2002 Republican Party Sonny Perdue 51.4% Democratic Party Roy Barnes 46.3% 5.1%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, Georgia 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 10 71.4% Democratic Party 4 28.6% R+6
    2014 Republican Party 10 71.4% Democratic Party 4 28.6% R+6
    2012 Republican Party 9 64.3% Democratic Party 5 35.7% R+4
    2010 Republican Party 8 61.5% Democratic Party 5 38.5% R+3
    2008 Republican Party 7 53.8% Democratic Party 6 46.2% R+1
    2006 Republican Party 7 53.8% Democratic Party 6 46.2% R+1
    2004 Republican Party 7 53.8% Democratic Party 6 46.2% R+1
    2002 Republican Party 8 61.5% Democratic Party 5 38.5% R+3
    2000 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    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


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Five of 159 Georgia counties—3.14 percent—are pivot counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Baker County, Georgia 8.68% 0.57% 1.07%
    Dooly County, Georgia 2.05% 6.98% 3.53%
    Peach County, Georgia 2.91% 7.48% 6.75%
    Quitman County, Georgia 10.92% 9.04% 7.90%
    Twiggs County, Georgia 1.58% 8.64% 6.97%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Georgia with 50.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 45.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Georgia voted Democratic 63.33 percent of the time and Republican 36.67 percent of the time. Georgia voted Republican in every presidential election from 2000 to 2016.

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Georgia. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[21][22]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 64 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 45.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 74 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won 14 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 116 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 106 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


    See also

    Georgia government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 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.
    2. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "General Primary Results - 2014," May 29, 2014
    3. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
    4. ↑ 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
    5. ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed August 12, 2024
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
    7. ↑ Georgia.gov, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
    8. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
    9. ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
    10. ↑ Justia, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed July 2, 2025
    11. ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
    13. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Registration Application," accessed November 14, 2024
    14. ↑ 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."
    15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed August 12, 2024
    16. ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
    17. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    18. ↑ Georgia.gov, "Vote by Absentee Ballot," accessed August 12, 2024
    19. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Georgia," accessed January 3, 2018
    20. ↑ Georgia Demographics, "Georgia Cities by Population," accessed January 3, 2018
    21. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    22. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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