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Georgia state executive official elections, 2020
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| Georgia state executive official elections |
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| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 6, 2020 |
| Primary: June 9, 2020 Primary runoff: August 11, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 General runoff: December 1, 2020 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Georgia |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas and triplexes |
| Other state executive elections |
Two state executive offices were up for election in Georgia in 2020:
Public Service Commission (2 seats)
Candidates and election results
Public Service Commissioner District 1
General election
General election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1
Incumbent Jason Shaw defeated Robert Bryant and Elizabeth Melton in the general election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jason Shaw (R) | 50.1 | 2,445,181 | |
| Robert Bryant (D) | 46.2 | 2,255,325 | ||
| Elizabeth Melton (L) | 3.7 | 179,011 | ||
| Total votes: 4,879,517 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1
Robert Bryant advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Robert Bryant | 100.0 | 926,028 | |
| Total votes: 926,028 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1
Incumbent Jason Shaw advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 1 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jason Shaw | 100.0 | 942,043 | |
| Total votes: 942,043 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Danny Brown (R)
Public Service Commissioner District 4
General runoff election
General runoff election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4
Incumbent Lauren McDonald Jr. defeated Daniel Blackman in the general runoff election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4 on January 5, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lauren McDonald Jr. (R) | 50.4 | 2,234,689 | |
| Daniel Blackman (D) | 49.6 | 2,200,962 | ||
| Total votes: 4,435,651 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4
Incumbent Lauren McDonald Jr. and Daniel Blackman advanced to a runoff. They defeated Nathan Wilson in the general election for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lauren McDonald Jr. (R) | 49.9 | 2,415,248 | |
| ✔ | Daniel Blackman (D) | 47.0 | 2,272,969 | |
| Nathan Wilson (L) | 3.1 | 151,196 | ||
| Total votes: 4,839,413 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4
Daniel Blackman defeated John Noel in the Democratic primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel Blackman | 71.6 | 762,740 | |
| John Noel | 28.4 | 301,948 | ||
| Total votes: 1,064,688 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4
Incumbent Lauren McDonald Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia Public Service Commission District 4 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lauren McDonald Jr. | 100.0 | 929,919 | |
| Total votes: 929,919 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Context of the 2020 elections
Party control in Georgia
Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[1][2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In cities with a population greater than 300,000 people, polls remain open until 8 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of their county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election, and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.[4][5]
The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[4]
Automatic registration
In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.[6][7]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.[8][9][10]
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.
In Georgia, an individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information on a voter registration application is guilty of a felony.[11] [10]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[12] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.[13]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
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Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.
Early voting
Georgia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. The ballot application deadline is 11 days before Election Day. A completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[16]
Past elections
2018
The following elections took place in 2018:
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018
- Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
- Georgia Attorney General election, 2018
- Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018
- Georgia Agriculture Commissioner election, 2018
- Georgia Insurance Commissioner election, 2018
- Georgia Labor Commissioner election, 2018
- Georgia Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2018
- Georgia state executive official elections, 2018
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
- Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
- Georgia Attorney General election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
- Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 22 Republican primary)
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)
- Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)
- Georgia Attorney General election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)
- Georgia Secretary of State election, 2018 (May 22 Democratic primary)
- Georgia Public Service Commission election, 2018
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2018 (July 24 Republican primary runoff)
- Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (July 24 Republican primary runoff)
- File:Trump effect.PNG
See also
| Georgia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "2023 Georgia Code § 21-2-224 - Registration deadlines; restrictions on voting in primaries; official list of electors; voting procedure when portion of county changed from one county to another," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
- ↑ Justia, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Registration Application," accessed November 14, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Vote by Absentee Ballot," accessed August 12, 2024
