Thousands of Georgians are heading to the polls Tuesday to choose the candidates they think are best suited to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in the 2024 presidential election.
Registered voters will vote at their respective polling locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Georgia is one of four states holding presidential primaries today, along with Hawaii, Washington, and Mississippi.
the last four
Current front-runners in Georgia include Democratic candidate President Joe Biden and Republican candidate former President Donald Trump. Voters will likely have many other candidates on their ballots, but nearly all have dropped out of the race.
There are two other candidates besides Biden on the Democratic ballot, but Marianne Williamson is the only one still in the race (she briefly dropped out in February, but has since participated in the election campaign again).
And while there are 10 other candidates besides Trump on the Republican ballot, only David Stackenberg is still running.
Despite all dropouts, any vote from any of the 14 people listed will still be accepted and included in the final tally.
Georgia is a primary state, meaning voters can request a vote for either party, regardless of party affiliation.
Early risers catch bugs
Tuesday was the last day Georgia voters could have their say in the 2024 presidential primary, but it wasn't the first.
Early voting was held across the state from February 19 to March 8 for people hoping to beat long wait lines and crowded booths and beat their peers.
Voters who wanted an absentee ballot had until March 1 to submit their request. However, to be eligible to be counted, ballots must be received by mail or drop box by the Tuesday night voting deadline.
This is also the first presidential election in Georgia since Senate Bill 202 was passed. The bill would require voters to vote early on the second Saturday of the month in counties that have not yet cast a ballot, and would prohibit food and water distribution to those counties. Waiting in line to vote.
More than 400,000 voters showed up to vote in early voting locations, according to state election data.
dueling rally
In preparation for Tuesday's main event, Biden and Trump headed to Georgia on Saturday in hopes of gaining support from potential voters.
Biden's rally, held at Pullman Yards in Atlanta's Kirkwood Historic District, was attended by Georgia Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
President Trump addressed a crowd more than 50 miles away in Rome, in the district represented by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
final stake
Voters who want to vote on Tuesday can check their registration information, designated polling place and view a sample ballot on Georgia's “My Voter Page.”
The Georgia Secretary of State's Office will provide updates on results overnight after voting closes at 7 p.m.
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, March 9, 2024 (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
Georgia will again be important in this November's presidential election, just as it was in 2020, when Biden narrowly won the state's blue color for the first time since former President Bill Clinton did so in 1992. will play a role.
“In 2020 and 2022, especially here in Georgia, but all over the country, you called your neighbors, you texted your friends, you knocked on doors, and you never stopped. We’re with you,” Biden said Saturday.
And, according to Trump, “if we win Georgia, we win the election.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Georgia voters will return to the polls in May for primaries for the state House, U.S. House of Representatives and other statewide and local elections.
