Is this your first time voting? Is voting just kind of a blur for you? Do you want to avoid making an uninformed decision? I’m here to help. Your vote always matters, so why not vote with as much information as you can?
President of the United States
The very first thing on the Georgia ballot is your choice for the president of the United States. In the state of Georgia, your choices are Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Gary Johnson. You can also write-in whoever you want to elect if you don’t believe in any of the listed candidates.
Senators and House of Representative Members
Congress seats run on a staggered election period, so the entire Congress isn’t running for election or reelection all at one time. This may leave the country without a dedicated legislative body and because of this, you may or may not have both senators and representatives listed on your ballot.
County and City Candidates
Local government is just as important as any other level of government! Your ballot will be location specific, and you may have people up for commissioners, city council members, coroners, etc. I live in a small town, so many people were incumbents, which means they have already served a term and are running again. Check out the signs and the campaign propaganda for these people and vote smart!
Constitutional Amendments
First thing’s first, this isn’t the United States Constitution – it’s our State Constitution. During session (January-April), our state’s Congress proposes and votes on amendments, which are then proposed to the public to vote upon. It is important to read how these amendments are written, as they are written in questions, and to know what voting yes or no means. This year, we have 4 new amendments.
Amendment 1: This amendment proposes that “chronically failing” schools be put in the hands of a state agency and out of the hands of local school boards. It would also allow for these schools to be transformed into charter schools.
Amendment 2: This amendment would allow for extra fees and penalties to be placed upon those charged with certain sex crimes, and the money raised to be allocated to the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children’s Fund.
Amendment 3: This amendment would replace the Judicial Qualifications Commission with a General Assembly (the whole congress) agency. The Judicial Qualification Commision deals with ethical misconduct questions having to do with judges.
Amendment 4: This amendment would allow for taxes raised from the 2015 legalization of fireworks to be allocated to trauma care, fire services, and local public safety purposes.
Local Resolutions:
Your specific county or city may also have specific referendums to help your local community. My county had a resolution to overturn the ban on the sale of alcohol on Sundays. There will be plenty of propaganda around your area to let you know what they are and what voting yes or no would mean.
Election Day is here, so make sure you are well-informed. Happy voting! You’re doing your community, state, and country a great service!