See 2026 Georgia primary election results from key local races

Smyrna controller Kevin Martin has defeated Justin Pinker in the Republican primary to represent Georgia's 6th Congressional District in Washington, CBS News projects.

Martin will now face four-term incumbent Rep. Lucy McBath in November's general election. The district, which contains part of Atlanta as well as sections of Cobb, Douglas, Fayette, and Fulton counties, heavily leaned Democratic in the 2024 election.

Read more here.

CBS News projected several winners Tuesday night in Georgia's U.S. House primary races, with incumbents and challengers advancing in districts spanning metro Atlanta, Gwinnett County, and West Georgia as results continued coming in across the state.

• District 3 (West Georgia): Maura Keller is the projected winner of the Democratic primary. She will face incumbent Brian Jack, who won the Republican primary after running unopposed.
• District 4 (East metro Atlanta): Incumbent Hank Johnson is the projected winner of the Democratic primary. He will face James Duffie, who won the Republican primary unopposed.
• District 5 (Atlanta metro area): Incumbent Nikema Williams is the projected winner of the Democratic primary. She will face John "Bongo" Salvesen, who won the Republican primary after running unopposed.
• District 11 (Northwest metro Atlanta): Chris Harden is the projected winner of the Democratic primary.
• District 11 (Northwest metro Atlanta): Janelle King Cowan is projected to advance to a Republican primary runoff, likely against Brandon Adkerson.

Derek Dooley is moving on to face Rep. Mike Collins in the runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

An attorney who coached football at the University of Tennessee, Dooley is the son of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley and was endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who passed up on a Senate bid himself. Dooley hasn't embraced the president as readily as the other two men, and has positioned himself as a political outsider. 

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. 

Read more here.

Rep. Nikema Williams has won the Democratic primary in Georgia's 5th Congressional District, likely securing her another two years in the U.S. House of Representatives, CBS News projects.

The incumbent Democratic lawmaker faced one challenger in the primary, Arnetress Beatty, whose slogan was "Vote me, or else."

She will face handyman John "Bongo" Salvesen, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the November election.

Salvesen will have an uphill battle to flip the seat. A Democratic candidate has represented the district since 1973, when future Mayor Andrew Young was sworn into office.

Read more here.

Both races to be the Republican and Democratic nominees for Georgia lieutenant governor are going to runoffs, CBS News projects

For the Democrats, state Sen. Josh McLarin and former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes will face off in June's runoff.

McLaurin, a resident of Sandy Springs, has been in the state Senate for 4 years and was previously elected to the Georgia House in 2018. Parkes was in her second term as state senator before resigning to focus on the primary. While in the Senate, she served as co-chair of the Georgia Women's Legislative Caucus.

The Republican race remains close, but Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy is projected to have made the runoff.

Kennedy, the top-ranking Republican in Georgia's state Senate, was first elected to the state Senate in 2014. He was chosen by his colleagues to be president pro tem, the No. 2 position in the Senate, in 2023.

It is likely that he will face either state Sen. Greg Dolezol or state. Sen. Blake Tillery in June.

Read more here.

Sen. Jon Ossoff congratulated Keisha Lance Bottoms on her victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, calling her campaign "powerful" and noting that it mobilized voters across Georgia.

Ossoff, who was running unopposed in the primary, highlighted the unity and momentum of Georgia Democrats heading into the general election, contrasting it with ongoing Republican infighting.

He expressed confidence that Democrats are building a "massive and unstoppable winning coalition" for November.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has avoided a runoff and will be the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, CBS News projects.

Bottoms, who previously served as mayor of Atlanta and later as a senior adviser in the Biden administration, is projected to receive more than 50% of the vote, securing her the nomination.

The former mayor, the only Black woman running in the race, focused her campaign heavily on voting rights, healthcare access, economic equity and defending Democratic gains in Georgia following years of intense political competition in the battleground state.

Other candidates in the race included former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former Georgia labor commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.

Read more here.

The Republican and Democratic primaries to become Georgia's next secretary of state is going to a runoff, CBS News projects.

With no one receiving more than 50% of the vote, Republican state Rep. Tim Fleming and Vernon Jones will face off against each other in June.

Out of the race is Gabriel Sterling, one of current Secretary of State Brad Raffenberger's top aides and the only candidate who actively defended the state's 2020 election result.

Fleming has said he believes there were some "irregularities" in 2020, but that "great strides" have been made to address the issues.

Jones, who was elected as a state representative and DeKalb County CEO as a Democrat and then switched parties to become a Republican , is considered a harsh critic of the way the state ran the election, which saw former President Biden narrowly defeat President Trump.

"I believe there were many irregularities. I believe violations have taken place," Jones has said on the campaign trail. "I stand with those who believe there was election fraud."

The race comes at a time when lawmakers are attempting to figure out how votes are counted in Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp has called for a special session next month to address a deadline where lawmakers need to choose a voting system, at least temporarily.

For the Democrats, Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett and former state judge Penny Brown Reynolds will be on the ballot. 

Barrett, who was elected to the Fulton Board of Commissioners in 2022, was a vocal part of a Democratic majority that last year refused to vote to approve two Republican nominees to the county election board, saying their past actions made them unsuitable.

Reynolds was a lawyer for former Democratic Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, who has endorsed her. In 2022 she was appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights, and she has served in other state and federal roles. She is also an ordained minister, and calls herself a "daughter of the South" who is "deeply committed to the soul of this state." Her reality TV show, "Family Court with Judge Penny," ran for one season and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2009.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rep. Mike Collins has advanced to a runoff in the Georgia GOP primary for Senate, CBS News projects, as Republicans vie for an opportunity to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. 

In Georgia, the top two vote-getters in the primary advance to a runoff if no candidate clears 50% of the vote. 

While Collins is projected to be one of the two in the runoff, it's not clear yet who he will face on June 16. Rep. Buddy Carter and former college football coach Derek Dooley remain in a tight race for second place.

Read more here.

Officials with the Georgia Secretary of State's office say a lot more votes are still left to count in Tuesday's primary.

According to officials, over 2 million voters cast ballots in the primary with 54% of voters picking the Democratic ballot and 44% choosing the Republican one.

As of shortly before 9 p.m., 33 counties across Georgia had not yet submitted either their early voting or their day-of voting tallies. That includes Fulton County, which is waiting until its final two precincts finish voting after 11 p.m.

CBS News projects Tanya Miller has won the Democratic primary for Georgia attorney general, while Brian Strickland secured the Republican nomination, setting up a high-stakes November showdown to become Georgia's next top lawyer.  

The race is expected to play a major role in Georgia's broader political battles over public corruption, consumer protection, criminal justice and state legal challenges in the years ahead.

Read more here.

Speaking after the Republican gubernatorial primary was projected to go to a runoff, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones thanked his supporters and called himself "the workhorse in the race."

"Let me tell you something. The reason I know we're gonna win is cause of friends and family members who are standing back here and out there in the audience. You are the reason we are going to win," Jones told the crowd.

He said he was looking forward to the runoff if he didn't "squeak it out tonight."

"I love getting this guy one-on-one, I can promise you that," he said. "I've been looking for that."

Jones also thanked President Trump, who had endorsed him in the race.

Rick Jackson also appeared at his own party to the loud cheers from his supporters.

"Barely more than a hundred days ago, we sent an earthquake through the political establishment when we entered the race. I think it's safe to say we shook up the political insiders and career politicians to their core," he said. "The job is not done; we still have 28 days to finish it."

Jackson argued that Jones has spent his political career working inside the system for his own benefit, contrasting that to his identity as an outsider to the Georgia Capitol.

"I can not be bought, and I will not back down," he said.

At Rick Jackson's Election Night party at the Omni at the Battery, the atmosphere was lively as supporters of the health care learned that their candidate was going to a runoff against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

The event featured many Georgia lawmakers endorsing the man they wanted to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited.

Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones called Jackson a "humble man who cares about regular people and doing the right thing." 

State Insurance Commissioner John King, who is running for reelection unopposed in Tuesday's primary, also gave his endorsement, saying Jackson was "the kind of man who refuses to quit."

"I am excited tonight because I truly believe we are looking at the next Governor of the next great state of Georgia," King said. 

Other lawmakers who spoke include state Rep. Trey Kelley, state Rep. Jaclyn Ford, and state Rep. Rick Townsend. 

Georgia Republicans will have to wait a little longer to pick their next gubernatorial nominee. 

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson are projected to be the top two finishers in Tuesday's Republican primary for governor, but neither has won outright. This means they will face off on the ballot again during the runoff election scheduled for June 16. 

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Attorney General Chris Carr, and other candidates were eliminated from the race.

The runoff sets up a rematch between the two candidates who have dominated and defined one of the most contentious GOP primary battles Georgia has seen in years, and it means voters will spend another month navigating a race that has already produced two lawsuits, a defamation claim, and a mobile billboard circling metro Atlanta.

Read more here.

Fulton County elections officials say the county will not release any results until voting at its last open polling place ends.

The county had been arguing with the Secretary of State's Office about when results could be released because its precincts at Ison Springs Elementary School remain open.

If the county's decision remains firm, that means that Georgia's most populous county will hold all its results until at least 11:02 p.m., when polls are set to close for anyone not already in line.

A dispute is unfolding between the Georgia Secretary of State's Office and Fulton County Government over when Fulton County can legally begin reporting election results on Tuesday night.

According to a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's Office, state officials are currently going back and forth with Fulton County election leaders after the county indicated it believes a court order prevents any countywide election results from being released until after 11 p.m., when polls are expected to fully close at Ison Springs Elementary School following an extended voting period.

The Secretary of State's Office said it disagrees with Fulton County's interpretation of the order and believes results should be reported as they become available throughout the night.

State officials say they are actively working to provide guidance to the county, but as of Tuesday evening, the two sides remained at odds over the proper legal course of action.

CBS News Atlanta's Rashad Williams contributed to this report.

CBS News has projected several winners in Georgia's U.S. House primary races on Tuesday night, including a number of incumbents and candidates who ran unopposed in districts across metro Atlanta and West Georgia.

• District 3 GOP (West Georgia): Brian Jack projected winner after running unopposed in the Republican primary.
• District 4 GOP (East metro Atlanta): James Duffie projected winner after running unopposed in the Republican primary.
• District 5 GOP (Atlanta metro area): John "Bongo" Salvesen projected winner after running unopposed in the Republican primary.
• District 6 DEM (Suburban Atlanta): Lucy McBath projected winner after running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
• District 7 GOP (Gwinnett area): Rich McCormick projected winner after running unopposed in the Republican primary.
• District 13 GOP (South metro Atlanta): Jonathan Chavez projected winner after running unopposed in the Republican primary.

When all the votes have been counted, incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff may still be waiting to see who his Republican challenger will be.

Ossoff is the only senator from his party running for reelection in a state that President Trump won in 2024, making his campaign among the most closely watched in the country as Democrats attempt to retake control of the chamber.

The senator has raised almost $60 million this cycle, dwarfing his potential Republican rivals. He's taken aim at the president and his sons for personal business dealings. Ossoff calls political corruption a bipartisan problem and has pushed legislation to ban members of Congress from making individual stock trades.

Five Republicans qualified to run in the primary in the hopes of facing Ossoff in November, including Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college football coach Derek Dooley. Unlike the senator, who has made his way through the primary with no challengers, the three have fought over their support of Mr. Trump and conservative records.

With the large number of candidates, it is likely that two of the Republicans will go to a runoff in June.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A judge has extended the voting hours at a Sandy Springs polling place that went into a "soft lockdown" for hours over nearby police activity.

Fulton County officials say that voting at precincts SS19A and SS22 at Ison Springs Elementary School will continue until 11:02 p.m. Any voters in line at that time will be able to cast their ballots.

County officials said the school was placed on lockdown and voting operations were stopped while police investigated possible gunshots at nearby Morgan Falls Park.

After an investigation by Sandy Springs Police and the FBI, officials say a suspect was taken into custody without incident. No injuries have been reported.

Authorities have not shared any other details about the investigation.

The polling place reopened around 4 p.m., more than four hours after it was temporarily stopped.

Georgia voters casting ballots in Tuesday's primary election saw more than just high-profile races for governor, Congress, and the state Supreme Court.

Depending on which party ballot they selected, voters were also asked a series of non-binding political questions aimed at gauging public opinion on major issues ahead of future legislative fights and campaign cycles.

Voters who selected a Democratic ballot saw two questions focused on taxes and ethics, including whether Georgia should raise sales taxes on everyday items to fund income tax cuts and whether it is ethical for candidates accused of enriching themselves through public office to hold statewide positions.

Meanwhile, Republican primary voters were asked eight questions touching on issues including election integrity, immigration enforcement, cellphone bans in schools, public school transparency, bail reform, energy policy and the death penalty.

Among the Republican ballot questions were whether Georgia should require hand-marked paper ballots, punish local law enforcement agencies that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and amend the U.S. Constitution to cap the number of Supreme Court justices at nine.

Political parties in Georgia are allowed to include these types of non-binding "polling questions" during primary elections to measure where voters stand on key policy debates.

The questions do not create laws, change policies, or directly impact government action, but they can help shape future party priorities, campaign messaging, and legislative agendas.

Voters who requested nonpartisan ballots did not see the party questions.

As voting gets close to ending across Georgia in the primary election, Republican voters have a narrow lead in turnout to their Democrat counterparts.

According to the last data, the Secretary of State's office said that around 850,000 votes have been cast on Tuesday, with about 20 minutes remaining before most polls close.

Matt Tyser, the Georgia deputy secretary of state, reported that Republican ballots now make up roughly 49.3% of those cast, while Democratic voters make up 48.2%. That's a turnaround from the 5 p.m. update by election officials.

Authorities say despite the extension to voting in Cobb County and likely extension at one Sandy Springs polling location, results should start coming in after the 7 p.m. regular closing time. Tyser said the first batch of votes to be reported will be those cast during the early voting period. Tuesday's votes will be reported later on.

A superior court judge has approved a request by Cobb County officials to extend voting for some of its polling places.

The ruling comes after the county reported technical issues involving poll pad devices at some of its polling locations.

Officials with Cobb County Elections & Registration said that they have deployed additional equipment at the impacted locations to help with the check in progress.

With the ruling, 11 polling places will have their voting extended after the standard 7 p.m. closing time. Any voters in line by the place's specific closing time will be allowed to cast a vote.

Below is a list of affected precincts and their closing times.

• Eastside 02 (EA02) – Sewell Mill Library, 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068 – Open until 7:09 p.m. 
• Elizabeth 03 (EL03) – Piedmont Road Church of Christ, 1630 Piedmont Rd., Marietta, GA 30066 – Open until 8:00 p.m. 
• Elizabeth 04 (EL04) – Gracelife Church, 1083 Allgood Rd. NE, Marietta, GA 30062 – Open until 7:30 p.m. 
• Fair Oaks 04 (FO04) – Milford Recreation Center, 675 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd., Marietta, GA 30060 – Open until 7:21 p.m. 
• Lassiter 01 (LA01) – Pilgrimage United Church of Christ, 3755 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta, GA 30066 – Open until 7:30 p.m. 
• Mableton 1B (MA1B) – Riverside Epicenter, 135 Riverside Pkwy, Austell, GA 30168 – Open until 7:13 p.m. 
• Mableton 4C (MA4C) – Thompson Community Center, 555 Nickajack Rd SE, Mableton, GA 30126 – Open until 7:28 p.m. 
• Marietta 3B (MR3B) – Missionary Church Assembly of God, 1021 Oregon Trl., Marietta, GA 30008 – Open until 7:30 p.m. 
• Oregon 04 (OR04) – Trinity Fellowship, 2115 Pair Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30064 – Open until 7:06 p.m. 
• Pine Mountain 01 (PM01) – Pine Mountain Middle School, 2720 Pine Mountain Cir., Kennesaw, GA 30152 – Open until 7:25 p.m. 
• Powers Ferry 01 (PF01) – Sewell Mill Library, 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068 – Open until 7:09 p.m. 

Cobb County voters say affordability and inflation are two key issues that are driving them to the polls.

They say that's top of mind as they look for candidates to help them make ends meet.

For many voters CBS News Atlanta spoke to at the Thompson Community Center in Mableton, rising costs are shaping their financial well-being.

"Well, I'm retired on a fixed income, so I'm definitely concerned with inflation and affordability. Gasoline is the most it's been for me," Jimmy Johnson said.

"There's a lot of a lot of issues, everything from affordability to the Iran war. Everything going skyrocketing price-wise," Edwardo Holanda said.

A state official with the Georgia Secretary of State's Office confirmed to CBS News Atlanta that Democratic turnout had overtaken Republican turnout statewide as of just after 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Updated voter data shows:

• 49.3% Democratic turnout
• 48.1% Republican turnout
• 2.6% nonpartisan turnout

The official says more than 770,000 ballots have been cast on the day of the primary, with a little more than an hour of voting to go.

The latest numbers build on Democrats' roughly 150,000-vote advantage during Georgia's early voting period.

The turnout shift could carry major implications for Georgia's closely watched Supreme Court races, which have drawn heightened national attention amid ongoing debates over abortion rights, voting access, and the ideological balance of the court.

Fulton County officials will seek to extend voting hours after voting was suspended for several hours at two polling precincts inside an elementary school placed on a "soft lockdown" because of a nearby incident involving possible gunshots.

Voting at precincts SS19A and SS22 at Ison Springs Elementary School in Sandy Springs was suspended at about 11:58 a.m., according to Fulton County.

Voting resumed at around 4 p.m., the county said.

County officials said the Sandy Springs Police Department earlier notified Fulton County Schools and school leadership about an incident in the surrounding community involving possible gunshots.

As a precaution, the school was placed on a "soft lockdown," forcing voting operations at the two precincts to temporarily stop.

Fulton County said it has remained in continuous communication with Fulton County Schools and the Sandy Springs Police Department throughout the incident.

The county said the Department of Registration and Elections was going to seek a court order to extend voting hours to ensure affected voters still have an opportunity to cast their ballots. At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the Georgia Secretary of State said it would likely receive the four-hour polling extension.

With Georgia's primary underway, the spotlight turns to a competitive Republican race to take on incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who is running unopposed. 

On the GOP side, former Tennessee Volunteers football coach Derek Dooley is making waves as an outsider, gaining traction with the support of Gov. Brian Kemp. 

He faces tough competition from sitting Congressmen Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, both of whom are vying for their party's nomination in a three-way battle.

The winner will set the stage for a high-stakes showdown against Ossoff in November. 

Officials say the polling place at Sandy Springs' Ison Park Elementary is back open after temporarily shutting down due to police activity in a nearby park.

Fulton County election officials say the polling precinct was reopened shortly around 4 p.m. after being closed since around noon due to the "public safety incident."

The FBI has confirmed that it is also assisting Sandy Springs police with the investigation into the incident.

Authorities previously said they would be seeking a court order to extend voting hours at the affected precincts. It is not clear how long voting hours may be extended.

Former President Barack Obama weighed into Georgia's closely watched state Supreme Court races Tuesday, urging voters to support Democratic-backed candidates Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin as turnout continued across the state on Primary Day.

In a post on X, Obama emphasized the growing national focus on state high courts and their role in shaping major issues, including voting rights and reproductive freedom.

"The decisions made by state supreme courts touch every part of our lives," Obama wrote. "And that's especially important when voting rights and basic freedoms are being challenged."

The endorsement adds another layer of national attention to Georgia's judicial races, which have become increasingly high-profile in the post-Roe political landscape.

Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp has publicly backed conservative incumbent justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Warren, framing the races as critical to maintaining the court's current conservative direction.

"Georgia is the No. 1 state for business and the greatest place to live work and raise a family because we have nonpartisan, Supreme Court Justices like Sarah Warren and Charlie Bethel who uphold and defend our constitution every day," Kemp posted on X during the early voting period.

If Jordan and Rankin were both to win, the ideological makeup of the Supreme Court of Georgia would shift, reducing the court's conservative majority from 8-1 to 6-3.

Cobb County election officials say technical issues with poll pad devices at some polling locations on Primary Day forced poll workers to manually check voters in, but officials stressed that voting has continued without interruption.

At the Thompson Community Center in Mableton, voters continued arriving steadily throughout the day, with cars frequently pulling into the polling site parking lot.

Officials with the Cobb County Elections and Registration said backup procedures were activated after the electronic poll pad devices temporarily went down.

One voter, Christina Weatherbee, said the process appeared to be running smoothly by the time she cast her ballot.

"It was smooth and great," Weatherbee said. "I heard there were issues earlier, but it seems that it's been resolved because I was able to go in and get out within 20 minutes."

For election information, including polling locations and voter resources, voters can visit the  Cobb County Elections website or the Georgia My Voter Page.

Voting at two Fulton County precincts was suspended while police were investigating possible gunshots nearby.

The Sandy Springs Police Department tells CBS News Atlanta that they notified Fulton County Schools and leadership at Ison Springs Elementary School about a person, "an incident in the community involving possible gunshots."

According to Fulton County School officials, the situation involved a suspicious person reported in the area of Morgan Falls Park.

As a result, the school went into soft lockdown, and voting was suspended at the two precincts on campus, SS19A and SS22 around 11:58 a.m.

Fulton County officials say they will seek a court order to extend voting hours at the precincts.

With Gov. Brian Kemp term-limited, and the governor's seat open, Republican candidates have spent millions to try to win outright or make it into the runoff in June.

More than $113 million has been spent on advertising in the Republican primary race for governor, with most of that from health care executive Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

By contrast, the Democratic gubernatorial candidates running in the primary have only spent around $3 million.

With runoffs likely in many races, the remaining candidates may end up spending significantly more before November.

Read more here.

Matt Tyser, Georgia deputy secretary of state, says that Georgia's primary election has seen about a 20% turnout, though they expect the number to be higher by the end of the day.

"Things are running smoothly thanks to our 159 county election directors," Tyser said.

According to Tyser, preliminary turnout data shows Republican voters accounting for roughly 51% of ballots cast, compared to 46% for Democratic voters. Independent turnout was reported at approximately 3%.

State officials emphasized that certified ballot totals are typically not finalized until the week following Election Day.

The Secretary of State's Office also said Fulton County could receive a four-hour polling extension, though a final decision had not yet been confirmed.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville has reversed his decision to allow poll watchers and members of the State Election Board into the "bunker" where Georgia's statewide vote totals are received, tabulated, and published. 

The ruling comes just hours after Glanville originally found that the officials should be allowed into the Election Night Reporting Room, a move that received pushback from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff.

In his ruling, Glanville said that the petitioners did not comply with Georgia law when seeking the expedited injunction against the secretary of state, making the emergency temporary restraining order "voided, vacated, and dissolved."

Read more here

As Georgia voters head to the polls, every single voter will be tasked with choosing their preferred candidate for the Georgia Supreme Court. 

On Sunday, Georgia's Judicial Qualifications Commission said former state Sen. Jen Jordan and attorney Miracle Rankin likely broke judicial ethics rules by endorsing each other and making public abortion-related statements while court cases are ongoing. According to the state commission's website, its purpose is to "conduct investigations and hearings with respect to complaints of ethical misconduct by Georgia judges."

Both candidates pushed back forcefully against the allegations and framed the complaints as politically motivated efforts to silence challengers.

As voting continues across metro Atlanta in Tuesday's primary, polling places in Fulton and DeKalb County have seen few long lines.

As of 3 p.m., data shows that all of Fulton County's 130 polling places and DeKalb's 138 are reporting wait times of less than 30 minutes, with nearly all of them having waits in the single digits, if any.

Those wait times are expected to become slightly longer as more people leave work, and the 7 p.m. deadline approaches. Any voters in line at 7 p.m. will still be allowed to vote.

Here's how you can find out the location of your polling place.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is encouraging Georgia voters to support Supreme Court candidates Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan.

In a social media post, Harris wrote: "Georgia, it's Election Day. You have the chance to send Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan to the Georgia Supreme Court."

Harris called the candidates "extraordinary leaders who will fight to protect your rights and uphold the rule of law."

Rankin and Jordan are running in Georgia's Supreme Court races. 

Cobb County elections officials said that voting will continue across the county despite technical issues involving poll pad devices at some polling locations.

According to the Cobb County Elections & Registration Department, the issues were tied to the voter file at isolated polling places.

Officials said they are working with the Georgia Secretary of State's office to deploy additional poll pads while polling locations use backup manual check-in procedures to keep voting moving without interruption.

"Voting has not stopped, and all voters in line will be able to cast their ballot," the county said in an update.

Election officials asked voters for patience as poll workers continue assisting voters and implementing backup procedures.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville has granted an emergency temporary restraining order, directing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to immediately allow properly designated poll watchers and State Election Board observers into the Election Night Reporting Room. 

The facility is where Georgia's statewide vote totals are received, tabulated, and published. 

The order, signed at 10 a.m., came after an ex parte hearing Tuesday morning at which counsel for the petitioners was present. Raffensperger's office had an opportunity to respond but did not appear.

Judge Glanville found that Georgia law expressly entitles properly designated poll watchers to observe the conduct of elections and the counting and recording of votes at tabulation centers and related locations, including the Secretary of State's central aggregation and reporting processes. The judge also found that the public interest strongly favors transparency, particularly, the court noted, when the chief election official is himself a candidate in the election being administered.

The order prohibits Raffensperger, his staff, contractors and anyone acting in coordination with him from excluding or restricting poll watchers and State Election Board observers from the Election Night Reporting Room or any other facility where county results are received, processed, aggregated or reported. Raffensperger was also directed to immediately instruct all staff to admit observers and afford them reasonable proximity to meaningfully observe all activities without interfering with election operations.

Read more here

Fulton County officials said that Dunwoody Community Church is unavailable as an Election Day polling site for Precincts SS01 and SS01A because of a scheduling conflict.

Voters assigned to those precincts will instead cast their ballots at the Johns Creek Environmental Campus for the election, officials said in a social media update.

Election officials encouraged voters to verify their assigned polling location through the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page before heading to the polls.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Clark Dean cast his ballot Tuesday morning at the Buckhead Library polling place.

Dean encouraged Georgians to pay attention to races throughout the ballot, including judicial and local contests.

"If you don't get all the way down to the bottom, you don't get the judges," Dean said. "We need to make sure we do that as well."

Dean said affordability, education and health care were among the biggest concerns he heard from voters while campaigning across the state.

"I really hope that this election cycle people will get out to vote, that they'll find it easy, they'll find it safe, and they'll find it convenient," Dean said.

Dean also encouraged voters to research candidates before heading to the polls, saying many Georgians are paying closer attention to local and statewide races this election cycle.

Voters at the Buckhead Library polling place described a smooth and fast voting experience as polls opened statewide.

Several voters told CBS News Atlanta they came prepared after researching candidates and ballot questions ahead of Election Day, despite the lengthy ballot featuring statewide, local and judicial races.

Cindy Catalano said the process was "quick and easy" and not overwhelming, even with the large number of races on the ballot.

"I did a lot of research online, and obviously, I watch a lot of news," Catalano said.

Catalano said some of the ballot questions toward the end caught her by surprise because she had not prepared for them ahead of time.

"A lot of the questions at the end, I had no idea were even going on," she said.

She added that local races were especially important to her this election cycle and encouraged voters to head to the polls early.

"There's nobody here. Come out as early as you possibly can," Catalano said.

Another voter, Jeffery Graham, described the voting process as "great" and "seamless," saying there was "not a lot of traffic" at the polling place.

Graham said he researched candidates online and paid close attention to the governor's race, local judges and Public Service Commission contests.

Mikayla Binion said she was "in and out" quickly and spent more time researching local races than in previous elections.

"For the first time, I think this is a first for me to really focus locally," Binion said. "I feel like there's so much change."

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp shared a social media post from Winterville, Georgia, where he said he cast his ballot.

In the video, Kemp described the morning as a "beautiful" one in Winterville and said he had voted for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley.

Kemp also said he voted for incumbent state Supreme Court justices further down the ballot and encouraged others to participate in the election.

"Hope y'all do the same," Kemp said in the video.

First lady Marty Kemp also appeared in the post, saying, "Let's get the vote out."

Cobb County elections officials said Tuesday they are aware of issues affecting some election operations across the county, but emphasized that voting has not been stopped.

In a statement, Cobb County Elections & Registration said backup procedures are in place as staff work to assist voters and support polling locations.

Officials encouraged voters to remain patient while crews address the disruptions.

"All eligible voters in line by 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballot," the office said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms is spending Election Day with supporters on the ground, joining volunteers at a phone bank Tuesday afternoon as voters across Georgia head to the polls.

Beginning at 2:30 p.m., Bottoms is expected to join a "Keisha for Governor" phone bank effort, where volunteers are contacting voters ahead of polls closing. Campaign organizers say the effort is aimed at encouraging turnout in the Democratic primary and highlighting Bottoms' platform.

According to the campaign, volunteers will speak with voters about Bottoms' priorities, including protecting voting rights in Georgia, lowering costs for families, expanding Medicaid, and increasing access to affordable health care.

Later in the evening, Bottoms will host supporters at an election night event in Atlanta beginning at 7 p.m., where she will watch returns come in with campaign staff and supporters.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger pushed back Monday after State Sen. Greg Dolezal and other Republican candidates filed a lawsuit seeking access for election observers to the state's Election Night reporting process.

In a statement, Raffensperger rejected claims that observers were being improperly excluded and said vote counting takes place at the county level, not in the Secretary of State's Election Night reporting space.

"For a guy who constantly lectures everyone about election integrity, you'd think Senator Dolezal would know that votes are not counted in the Secretary of State's Emergency Operations Center," Raffensperger said.

He emphasized that local election offices and tabulation centers are where ballots are actually processed and counted.

"The real fight to safeguard the ballot box happens at the local level inside county election offices and tabulation centers across Georgia," he said.

Raffensperger also criticized the lawsuit and its motivations, calling it political theater.

"But facts clearly aren't getting in the way of Dolezal's desperate search for press attention and votes," he said. "You are about to join Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden, and the New Georgia Project on the long list of people who sued me and lost."

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President Donald Trump released a video message Tuesday urging Georgia Republicans to vote for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the GOP gubernatorial primary, calling Jones a "fantastic person" who is "solid as a rock."

"Burt Jones has my complete and total endorsement," Trump said in the video. "He's going to be a great governor. He loves Georgia, loves everything about Georgia, and so do I."

Trump praised Jones' background as a former University of Georgia football captain, joking that Jones is nearly as good as Georgia legend Herschel Walker. 

"I wouldn't say he's quite as good as Herschel, because I love Herschel too but who is?" Trump said. "He was a really good captain of the Georgia team, a really good player."

Jones responded to the video on social media Tuesday morning, writing: "Thank you President Trump for your Election Day message! Go Vote Georgia!"

Trump has been a vocal supporter of Jones throughout the primary, previously joining Jones on a tele-rally May 7 and endorsing him in August 2025. Jones has noted that Trump supported him in 2016, backed him in his 2022 lieutenant governor's race and is now supporting his gubernatorial bid. 

Voters in Gwinnett County are breezing through a polling location near Little Mulberry Park.

Several dozen people had cast ballots by 9 a.m. at Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church in Mulberry.

Poll workers said they expected to be busier around lunchtime and before polls close at 7 p.m. 

Mulberry, in northeastern Gwinnett County, was incorporated as a city on January 1, 2025.

Tuesday's primary election is the city's first for a federal election.

Between April 27 and May 15, around 76,400 people voted early in Gwinnett County, or about 13% of the county's active voters. The state saw record-breaking turnout.

There was an early morning rush at polling places in the quiet Atlanta exurb of Ball Ground as voting got underway in Georgia's 2026 primary election.

In this largely Republican-leaning area, dozens of voters turned out at a local library shortly after polls opened. The location is a familiar one for many residents, with some saying they have voted there for years.

What stood out at this site Tuesday morning was the presence of an election observer from the Georgia Secretary of State's office, who could be seen monitoring the voting process.

Georgia Republicans filed an emergency court motion Monday against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, seeking a judge's order to allow poll watchers and State Election Board observers into the Election Night Reporting Room. The motion was filed just hours before the May 19 primary election. 

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, who is among the three petitioners in the Fulton County Superior Court filing, said the move was necessary after Raffensperger declined to grant State Election Board members access to the room, which Dolezal called "the bunker." 

The lawsuit argues Georgia law mandates transparency in all aspects of the conduct of elections and notes that Raffensperger, who is himself a candidate in Tuesday's Republican primary, has an inherent conflict of interest that makes independent oversight all the more critical.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene immediately, saying "Georgians demand transparency and integrity in our elections." 

U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, R-Ga., took his own step Monday, writing a letter to House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil requesting that congressional observers be designated to monitor the Secretary of State's entire election reporting process, citing federal law and the U.S. Constitution's grant of congressional authority over federal elections. 

Fuller said he stood ready to offer his own staff to serve as observers if needed, adding that "no one should be afraid of oversight."

Read more here.

Georgia's May 19 primary is the first major step in the state's 2026 election, but there are several key dates that will follow in the next few months that will shape who will move on to the midterms.

Under Georgia law, any primary where no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote will go to a runoff. In that case, the two finishers with the most votes in the primary will face off on June 16. With so many candidates in competitive races, it is likely that many of the primaries could be on the June ballot.

For the runoff, the May 18 deadline to register to vote just passed. Early voting is scheduled from June 8 to 12. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on runoff day.

Whichever candidate wins the primary or runoff will advance to the November 3, 2026, general election.

Voters in Georgia's 13th District will also have a special election on July 28 to fill the remainder of the late Rep. David Scott's term. This election is separate from the primary.

Read more here.

Georgia voters who are heading to the polls on Tuesday for the 2026 primary will see a long list of contests for statewide and local offices when they get to the voting booth.

Many Georgians who voted early told CBS News Atlanta that this year's primary ballot is one of the longest they've seen in a long time. The number of candidates and races have led election officials around the state to urge voters to be prepared and do their research.

Statewide races will be on every voter's ballot, like the primaries for governor, lieutenant governor, and U.S. senator. Most other races are dependent on the specific voter's county or legislative district.

Under Georgia law, cellphones and other electronic devices can't be used inside the voting both. Filled-in paper sample ballots are allowed if a voter needs to reference their prior research.

One way to find and print out your sample ballot is to log in to the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page. You can also check your county election department, which will have links to the Democratic, Republican, and nonpartisan ballots.

Read more here.

The polls for the May 19 primary election opened at 7 a.m. across Georgia, giving voters in the Peach State the chance to pick who will represent their party in statewide, congressional, and local races during the November midterm election.

Unlike during the state's early voting period, residents must go to their designated polling place on Election Day to cast their ballot. Voters can find their polling place by logging into the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page. There, voters can view their sample ballot and get directions to where they can vote. 

Other options to find your polling place include contacting your county election office or checking your voter registration card, if you have one.

Georgia requires residents to register to vote ahead of its elections, which means that if you have not registered, you will not be able to cast a ballot in this year's primary.

Officials recommend confirming locations ahead of time, as polling places could change.

Read more here.

Polls are just about to open in Georgia's highly-competitive primary election, and the state has already seen record-breaking voter turnout.

According to the Secretary of State's data, over a million Georgians voted early in the weeks before Tuesday's primary, about 14% of the state's 7.3 million active voters. That's much higher than the 2022, which itself broke records with over 857,000 early votes.

The data showed that Democratic turnout has been much higher than their Republican counterparts, with about 580,000 voters for the former compared to 430,000 for the latter. That's a reversal from the last midterm, which saw higher Republican turnout during the early voting period.

While most of the races in the primary are split by party, the high Democratic turnout could make a significant impact on two nonpartisan state Supreme Court races on the ballot, where incumbents are facing challengers for their seats.