Georgia Elections 2026: New Poll Upends Race—5 Things Voters Need to Know Now

ATLANTA – Georgia’s 2026 election cycle is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent memory, with simultaneous battles for governor, U.S. Senate and every seat in the General Assembly driving record fundraising and early voter interest. Governor’s race: an open seat scramble Term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp’s departure has triggered a crowded field. Republicans will choose among Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, software engineer Tom Williams and four other hopefuls in the March 17 primary. On the Democratic side, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms heads a slate that also features ex-state senator Jason Esteves, former labor commissioner Mike Thurmond and five additional contenders. Recent internal polling released by the Raffensperger and Bottoms campaigns shows each leading their respective packs, but both remain well below the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a May 19 runoff. Senate showdown: Ossoff awaits GOP nominee First-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is preparing for what analysts expect to be the nation’s costliest Senate race. Republicans failed to settle the nomination on primary night, pushing Congressman Mike Collins (41 percent) into a June 16 runoff against former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley (30 percent). The eventual winner will inherit a party apparatus that has already reserved more than $44 million in fall advertising, while Senate Majority PAC has booked $20 million to defend Ossoff. Key dates and voter access • Jan 21 – Absentee ballot requests open • Feb 24 – Voter registration deadline for presidential and state primaries • Mar 2 – Early in-person voting begins • Mar 17 – Presidential, gubernatorial and congressional primaries • May 19 – Statewide primary runoffs (if needed) • Jun 16 – Senate GOP runoff • Oct 12 – Early voting for the general election opens • Nov 3 – General election Issues driving the electorate 1. Economy & cost of living: Candidates in both parties are pledging targeted tax cuts and new workforce development incentives as Georgia’s tech-film boom strains housing supply. 2. Abortion access: With the state’s six-week ban under renewed court scrutiny, reproductive rights groups plan a $15 million mobilization effort aimed at suburban women. 3. Election law: Raffensperger defends the controversial 2025 election-administration overhaul he championed, while Democrats vow to roll back additional ID requirements for absentee ballots. 4. Public safety & immigration: Collins and Dooley have centered their Senate pitches on the Trump-era Laken Riley Act mandating detention of undocumented suspects. Historic stakes Georgia backed Donald Trump by just 1.8 points in 2024, and strategists in both parties view the Peach State as pivotal to control of the White House, Senate and a swath of redistricting-era legislative maps. With more than 8 million residents now registered to vote, turnout is projected to surpass the 2020 record of 5 million ballots cast. What happens next Debates sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club are scheduled for April 7–9. Expect intense negative advertising as frontrunners try to clear their primaries, and watch suburban Cobb, Gwinnett and Henry counties—once GOP strongholds, now bellwethers—for early shifts in mail-ballot returns. For voters, the message is clear: check registration status, plan your vote early and brace for a long, noisy sprint to November.