Georgia 2018 Midterm Elections Voting Guide

ATLANTA, GA — Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, is Election Day 2018 in Georgia, when voters will choose a new governor, pick members of Congress and other races. Here's what you need to know about candidates, key races, polling places, and more ahead of Tuesday.

Voter Information
Polls in Georgia open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day.

If you're not sure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place here.

The voter registration deadline in Georgia (Oct. 9) has passed. You can double check your voter registration status here.

Sample Ballots
Curious about what your ballot will look like on Nov. 6? Check the links below for a glance at what you'll find inside the booth on Election Day. The county ballots are broken down by municipality and precinct.

• Fulton County
• DeKalb County
• Cobb County
• Gwinnett County
• Paulding County
• Cherokee County
• Bartow County
• Douglas County
• Forsyth County

Voting Rights
The right to vote is one of the most vital tenets of American democracy. When you get to your polling place, it's important to know the law.

Photo identification is required when voting on Election Day in Georgia. Valid forms of ID include driver's licenses, state ID cards, tribal ID cards, United States passports, employee ID cards, military ID cards, and voter ID cards issued by county registration offices.

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. To vote absentee, an application must be received at any point until the close of polls on Election Day. However, a returned absentee ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Voting rights are restored to convicted felons in Georgia upon completion of his or her sentence.

Race for Governor
In what is arguably the nation's most watched governor's race this year, Democrat Stacey Abrams has launched an historic bid to become the nation's first African-American female governor in history. Republican Brian Kemp, who is also Georgia's secretary of state, is aiming to maintain GOP control of the governor's office the party has enjoyed since 2002. Both are running to replace Gov. Nathan Deal, who cannot run for a third term.

More than 1.5 million ballots have already been cast in a race that national Democrats hope will become a swing state, as the nation's midterm elections are widely being seen as a referendum on Trump's administration. Early voting throughout the state ends Friday, Nov. 2. Virtually every poll has shown the race in a dead heat, with neither Kemp or Abrams polling above 50 percent to secure an outright win on Nov. 6 and avoid a December runoff.

• Runoff Appearing More Likely In GA Governor's Race

The race has attracted national dollars, celebrities and political figures. Over the campaign's final weekends, actor Will Ferrell, Oprah Winfrey and former president Barack Obama all campaigned for Abrams, while President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence rallied for Kemp.

• Trump, Obama Coming To GA Before Historic Governor's Election
  
• Oprah Campaigning For Abrams In Marietta, Decatur On Thursday

If neither Kemp or Abrams earn enough votes on Nov. 6 to win outright (Libertarian Ted Metz is also in the race), there will be a Dec. 4, 2018, runoff.

Lieutenant Governor
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle resigned his position to launch an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for governor, meaning Georgia will elect a new lieutenant governor for the first time in more than a decade. Republican Geoff Duncan, a former state lawmaker, won an extremely tight GOP runoff for the nomination from state Sen. David Shafer, while Democrat Sarah Riggs Amico is hoping to become the first Democrat to win the seat this century. The race is not as high profile as the governor's contest, however, but could be equally as important, as it is widely seen as a possible launching point for a future gubernatorial or U.S. Senate bid. Neither candidate has ever held a statewide elected office before.

Race for Senate
Neither U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson or David Perdue are up for reelection.

U.S. House of Representatives Races
In metro Atlanta, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-4) is expected to handily win reelection in his heavily Democratic district. U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-5) is running unopposed as the state's senior congressman.

U.S. House districts 6 and 7 are widely seen as battleground states. U.S. Rep. Karen Handel, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Lucy McBath in the 6th. Handel won the open seat a little more than a year ago in what became the nation's most expensive congressional election in history in a battle against Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Obama has endorsed McBath in the race, as well as Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux in the 7th, as she seeks to unseat incumbent Rob Woodall. The 6th district includes portions of DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb counties, while the 7th district includes portions of Gwinnett, Forsyth and Hall.

• New Poll Shows Handel Leading McBath In Metro ATL 6th District
  
• Obama Makes Endorsements In Two Big GA Congressional Race
  

In the 11th district, U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Flynn Broady Jr. The district includes Bartow and Cherokee counties, as well as parts of Cobb and Fulton counties.

State Legislature
Every seat in the Georgia legislature comes up for reelection every two years. Currently, there are 115 Republicans in the state House, compared to 64 Democrats. In the state Senate, there are 37 Republicans compared to 19 Democrats. Regardless of who becomes Georgia's next governor and lieutenant governor, Georgia's state legislature is expected to remain solidly under GOP control. Republicans have controlled both houses since 2002 and 2004.

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Patch file photo