People who would like to change Georgia’s runoff system say a July 15 state Public Service Commission vote to choose a Democratic nominee shows the system's flaws. Georgia counties could spend $10 million only to have decisions made by fewer than 1% of the state's 7.4 million active registered voters. That could work out to more than $100 per vote.
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Here's how you can set limits or know it's time to leaveAP News AlertsEarly-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern US988 hotline removing LGBTQ+ youth support next monthWould you hail a 'robotaxi'? Musk bets cabs will give Tesla a lift after boycotts and sales plungePut chickpeas at the center of the plate with citrus and honeySupreme Court will hear case of Rastafarian whose dreadlocks were shaved by Louisiana prison guardsTrump afirma que Irán advirtió a EEUU antes del ataque con misiles a base en QatarEl Estrecho de Ormuz es vital para el petróleo; cerrarlo podría perjudicar a IránAs Trump floats regime change in Iran, past US attempts to remake the Middle East may offer warningsJury sees more sex videos as prosecutors wind down case against Sean 'Diddy' CombsAs Trump floats regime change in Iran, past US attempts to remake the Middle East may offer warningsPint-size pioneer 'Dora the Explorer' celebrates her 25th anniversaryStocks rally and oil tumbles as Wall Street hopes for a limited retaliation after US strikes on IranThe largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universeA hillside of white crosses fuels a misleading story about South Africa's farm killingsFan climbs netting at Wrigley Field to retrieve Sal Frelick's batYou probably don't need foods with added protein, nutritionists sayWorkers are saying 'no' to toxic environments. Here's how you can set limits or know it's time to leaveAP News AlertsEarly-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern US988 hotline removing LGBTQ+ youth support next monthWould you hail a 'robotaxi'? Musk bets cabs will give Tesla a lift after boycotts and sales plungePut chickpeas at the center of the plate with citrus and honeySupreme Court will hear case of Rastafarian whose dreadlocks were shaved by Louisiana prison guardsTrump afirma que Irán advirtió a EEUU antes del ataque con misiles a base en QatarEl Estrecho de Ormuz es vital para el petróleo; cerrarlo podría perjudicar a IránU.S. NewsATLANTA — Miller County Election Supervisor Jerry Calhoun says he’s not sure anyone will vote in an upcoming Democratic primary runoff.. Turnout wasn’t much higher among Republicans, with 40 votes cast in Commissioner Tim Echols’ victory over challenger Lee Muns. “I’m going to tell you the truth, I’m worried about it for the runoff, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Calhoun said of the July 15 Democratic runoff between Waites and Hubbard. Statewide turnout for the primary on June 17 reached just 2.8% of Georgia’s 7.4 million active registered voters. That includes more than 15,000 people who likely voted for Blackman and didn’t have their votes counted. But the Democratic runoff might struggle to reach 1% turnout statewide. And counties could spend $10 million statewide to hold the election, based on a sampling of some county spending. That could be more than $100 per vote. People who want to change Georgia’s runoff system say this election shows how the state spends money only to have decisions made by a fraction of people who voted the first time.ranked choice voting to determine a majority. In the meantime, some Republican-dominated counties are using a state law to reduce the number of polling places for the runoff. In many states, finishing first is enough to win, even if it’s far short of a majority. Georgia is one of only nine states, mostly in the South, that require runoffs. And it’s one of only two states, along with Mississippi, that demand a runoff if no candidate wins a general election majority after a partisan primary. Historians say runoffs were created in part to make it harder for Black candidates to win office, giving white voters a chance to unify around a candidate. Georgia legislators in 1995 lowered the threshold to avoid a runoff, requiring a candidate to a earn only a 45% plurality. Republicans changed the threshold back to a majority after a GOP candidate lost a 1996 Senate race. Draper introduced a bill in 2023 to lower the threshold back to 45%, but it went nowhere. House Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Victor Anderson, a Cornelia Republican, is among many who believes a majority is an important electoral mandate. “To actually win an election you should receive, in one form or fashion, at least 50% plus one of the vote. And so I am not in favor of a plurality system,” said Anderson, whose committee oversees election legislation. Another option would be letting voters rank their choices and determining the winner using second or third choices. That’s the system New York City Scot Turner, a former Republican state representative who champions that system, said turnout is typically lower for runoffs, silencing voters who don’t return. He said ranked choice voting would broaden participation, ensure a majority chooses the winner and save money. “It’s a tweak of our existing system that maximizes turnout and lowers cost,” Turner said. “Because we see these massive drop-offs in turnout for runoffs, those are disenfranchised voters. Their votes are tossed as if they never were cast.”State law allows a county to open only one polling place for a primary runoff if fewer than 1% of a county’s registered voters cast ballots in the initial primary. That’s likely to apply to some Republican-dominated counties. A few rural counties, including Miller County, already operate only one voting location. Cherokee County, with nearly 208,000 active voters, announced Friday that it would open only one polling place after fewer than 2,000 people cast ballots in the Democratic primary. Elections Director Anne Dover said the decision would cut the cost of the runoff in half, saving about $70,000. Travis Doss, president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, said Friday that as many as 20 counties are considering that option.Amy covers Georgia politics and state government for The Associated Press. He began work with the AP in 2011 and covered Mississippi for eight years before transferring to the Atlanta bureau in 2019.ICE detains Marine Corps veteran’s wife who was still breastfeeding their baby
Georgia Run-Off Elections U.S. Republican Party General News Domestic News GA State Wire New York City MS State Wire Mississippi New York City Wire New York NY State Wire Georgia State Government Travis Doss Keisha Waites Jerry Calhoun Victor Anderson Lee Muns Anne Dover Politics U.S. News Robert Jones Tim Echols Race And Ethnicity Daniel Blackman Saira Draper Race And Ethnicity
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