Georgia Election Watch: Early voting opens Tuesday and the governor's race is a toss-up

Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, October 13, and runs through Friday, October 30. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The registration deadline passed on October 5. Absentee ballot applications must be received by county election offices by October 23. If a runoff is needed, it will be held December 1. Voters must present a valid photo ID.

The top of the ticket

Governor (open seat; Gov. Kemp is term-limited). Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms are within the margin of error. A YouGov survey of 3,447 registered voters, conducted September 15–18 with a margin of error of 2.7 points, found Jackson at 45%, Bottoms at 44%, and 9% undecided. A more recent InsiderAdvantage poll also showed a statistical tie, with about 7% undecided.

U.S. Senate. In the same YouGov survey, Sen. Jon Ossoff led Rep. Mike Collins 51% to 41%, with 6% undecided.

What the debates put on the record

Bottoms and Jackson met in a single town hall on October 6. The positions below are the ones most likely to become legislation or regulation in 2027.

Issue	Bottoms (D)	Jackson (R)
Taxes	Suspend the state grocery tax; raise the minimum wage	Cut the state income tax in his first term
Health care	Expand Medicaid	Expand coverage while keeping the $4.5 billion in federal funds; price-transparency tools
Data centers	Pause new construction	Approve projects only with local support, EPA compliance, and discounted utility bills for nearby residents
License plate cameras	Moratorium on new installations	Opposes a moratorium; wants limits on misuse
Teachers	$60,000 starting pay	Reduce administrative burdens

Ossoff and Collins debated on October 8. The exchange was personal and centered on the war with Iran and fuel prices, Israel arms votes, and election confidence. Another Senate debate is scheduled at the Atlanta Press Club on Tuesday.

Down the ballot

The lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state offices are all open.

Office	Republican	Democrat
Lieutenant Governor	Greg Dolezal	Josh McLaurin
Attorney General	Brian Strickland	Tanya Miller
Secretary of State	Tim Fleming	Penny Brown Reynolds

The only general-election lieutenant governor poll I found is from July (State Navigate, 448 likely voters, margin of error 4.6 points): McLaurin 48%, Dolezal 44%. I found no recent public polling on the attorney general or secretary of state races.

The General Assembly

All 56 Senate seats and all 180 House seats are on the ballot. As of mid-May, Republicans held the Senate 33 to 21 with two vacancies, and the House 99 to 80 with one vacancy. There are 538 legislative candidates, the most since 2010. Five of the statewide nominees above are sitting legislators, so their seats and committee assignments turn over regardless of who wins.

What this means for 2027

Georgia will have a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in January. Data center siting, Medicaid, and law enforcement technology have each drawn a public position from at least one candidate for governor. An organization with exposure to any of them should know by now who in the new administration and in the freshman class will be deciding the question, and who in their home communities those members will call first.

If you are not sure who is carrying your issue on January 11, my calendar is open: https://calendly.com/bernardreynolds/true-north-strategy-conversation

Bernard Reynolds is the principal of True North Strategies, a Georgia public affairs firm.

Sources: Atlanta News First, October 4 · Atlanta News First, October 7 · AJC Senate debate coverage, October 8 · FOX 5 Atlanta, YouGov poll · Georgia Election Guide · Ballotpedia · Wikipedia pages for the 2026 Georgia lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state elections.