What to expect for Georgia’s 2024 Presidential Primary
It’s another big year, and Georgia is certain to be at the center of everyone’s mind. This year, your plate will undoubtedly be filled with corralling volunteers, seeking funding, and helping voters. We’re here to take political research off your plate.
This guide is here to give a quick reference on how the Georgia Presidential Preference Primary (PPP) is going to work.
Consider bookmarking this guide for the coming months!
How the election works
It’s been four years since the last presidential primary, and even that one was very atypical because of COVID. Here’s a rundown of how the election works:
The Presidential Preference Primary (PPP) is our first big election in 2024.
Presidential Preference Primaries in Georgia work very similarly to a normal primary election: When they show up to vote, they'll pick a party. Voters do not need to register for a party. Easy peasy!
Voters will only see the presidential election on the ballot, and potentially some special elections, depending on where they live.
Source: Communication with Secretary of State’s office.
Key dates
Georgia Voter registration deadline is February 12 or 13, 2024 (one day before Valentine’s Day)
Georgia Early voting window is February 20 – March 8, 2024
Georgia Election Day is March 12, 2024
Note: As of Dec 8, the Georgia 2024 election schedule has not been posted. These dates are unofficial and based on the Georgia code.
For context, Georgia’s primary election falls in the middle of the pack, compared to other states.
Iowa Caucus is January 15, 2024
New Hampshire Primary is January 23, 2024
Super Tuesday is March 5, 2024
Sources: 2023 Calendar and 2024 Summary Dates.
Who’s on the ballot
For the Presidential office, the Secretary of State has officially set the field for the election.
Democratic Primary:
Joe Biden
Dean Phillips
Marianne Williamson
Republican Primary:
Ryan L. Binkley
Doug Burgum
Chris Christie
Ron DeSantis
Nikki Haley
Asa Hutchinson
Perry Johnson
Vivek Ramaswamy
Tim Scott
David Stuckenberg
Donald J. Trump
According to a 538 meta-poll, Trump currently has a clear lead with 59% of the vote. He is followed by DeSantis at 12.6%, Haley at 11.6%, and Ramaswamy at 4.8%. Another 538 meta-poll puts Biden at a clear lead over his Democratic Primary challengers.
Candidate profiles will be available on Ballot Builder by the end of January 2024.
But wait… there’s more!
Source: Secretary of State’s office.
Other items on the ballot
Counties and cities have the option to hold special elections in conjunction with the Presidential Preference Primary. These can be to fill a vacancy or vote on local referendums (SPLOSTs, etc.).
None have been called yet, but we’ll keep this page updated as we become aware.
Source: Communication with Secretary of State’s office.
Pro’s and con’s of GOTV for this election
This election is unique in that:
The ballot is very short.
Everyone across Georgia will have roughly the same ballot.
Depending on how polls continue to develop or the early primaries go, Georgia voters may feel their vote doesn’t matter.
You may decide that because of these factors, it doesn’t make sense to invest in GOTV efforts. An argument could be made that asking voters to show up for this election may create fatigue.
On the other hand, some argue that voting is habit forming, meaning every election presents an opportunity to build the habit. This election may provide a strong catalyst event for voter action, which can help drive other important metrics including new voter registrations and new emails collected.
At the very least, it’s important to provide information about this election to members of your community who are going to vote. This will help solidify your position as their go-to source of trusted information, especially as the rest of the election year will be fraught with misinformation.
Messaging considerations
Here are some tips for how to tailor your messaging to voters for this election:
Be authentic and honest — Be honest and transparent with voters about what’s on the ballot, and that by the time they vote, the winner may already be determined. This can help build trust. Overstating the importance of this primary election may hurt trust.
Be content-oriented — A single ballot for the whole state means you can easily create content for social media and emails that highlights who’s on the ballot. As part of your Ballot Builder subscription, you have a full license to our content library. You can repurpose any of our candidate profiles for content on social media.
Ecnourage conversations — Because everyone’s ballots will look the same, you can encourage your community members to have conversations with each other about who they’re going to vote for and what they want to see in a candidate.
Focus on other reasons to vote — There are plenty of reasons to vote when you feel like your “vote doesn’t matter”: voting builds a habit; it builds the credibility of your community as a reliable voting bloc; it’s a right that was hard won by many civil rights leaders. And the best reason of all: you get a free sticker!
Other messaging tips? Drop them in the comments below!
Next steps
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