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Elections 2018 round up and info. guide

Early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 2 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 6. We’ve collected a boatload of resources to help you navigate Election Day.

We have reviews of every statewide office up for grabs here and here, including the significance of these positions and what the elected official will be in charge of. These positions include: Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Public Service Commissioners, State School Superintendent, Agriculture Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner and Labor Commissioner.

Key Down Ballot Races

The Public Service Commission is a big deal, even if it hasn’t attracted nearly the attention of the governor’s race.

We’ve consistently criticized the all-Republican Public Service Commission on Better Georgia’s blog in the past. They are supposed to regulate utilities like power, gas and telecommunications. But they have allowed Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle project to build two new nuclear reactors to run billions — with a “B” — over budget and years behind schedule. That’s something we are all paying for, including public schools.

There are two seats up for grabs, meaning there is a chance to break the conservative stranglehold on the Public Service Commission and elect progressives voices that will push to hold Southern Company — Georgia Power’s parent company and the primary stakeholder in the Plant Vogtle project — accountable.

Another less covered race that really matters is the Insurance Commissioner’s race.

The current insurance commissioner has allowed health insurance companies to increase their prices at astronomical rates, again and again. We *need* an insurance commissioner that supports increasing access to healthcare — and protecting ratepayers from outrageous price hikes — so this is a down ballot item not to be missed.

And don’t forget that there are exciting opportunities to flip seats in both the state legislature and Congress. The My Voter Page will tell you what districts you are in, so you can find your candidates. And the folks at 159 Georgia Together have to together resources highlighting the most vulnerable seats. You can check out all their research at Georgia Trending Purple.

Photo of diverse crowd gathered at park with signs encouraging people to vote

Amendments and Referendums

The awesome folks at Wake Up Atlanta have put together this handy guide to all the ballot questions.

Endorsements

Here’s an aggregated list of endorsements from other organizations. We include these for informational purposes only and do no necessarily endorse or support the particular stances of these organizations.

You can also check out Georgia Trending Purple by 159 Georgia Together. They cover all the races and emphasize what districts are most likely to be flippable.

Voting

Lastly, here’s everything you need to know about the logistics of voting on election day:

  1. Visit My Voter Page to find your sample ballot, your polling location and hours. Even if your status says “inactive,” “pending” or “contact county,” you can still vote.
  2. Need a ride? Visit Ride to the Poll to request a ride (or offer to drive folks!). Uber and Lyft will also be offering deep discounts on election day rides (although unfortunately they are not exactly offering free rides, as has been widely misreported).
  3. Bring an ID! (Here’s the list of acceptable IDs; it includes expired driver’s licenses.)
  4. If you are in line by the time the polling location closes — STAY — you can still vote.
  5. Don’t vote provisional, if at all possible! Call the Election Protection Hotline (866) OUR-VOTE if you run into any problems while voting. They can provide assistance in multiple languages.
  6. All done! Don’t forget to take a selfie and #PostThePeach.

Early voter turnout has been record-breaking so far. With a governor’s race that will be decided by razor thin margins we need everyone to make sure they cast a ballot… and bring a friend or two, too.

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