Georgia voters face complicated ballot ahead of primary

Early voting begins in Georgia on Monday, with voters facing a complex ballot featuring a range of local, state and federal contests.

Experts urge preparation to avoid confusion

Political analysts warn that the crowded field of candidates and multiple races on the ballot could lead to voter confusion if individuals do not take the time to prepare ahead of time.

With local, state and federal offices up for grabs, Georgia voters will see a ballot that covers a lot of ground, from school board and commission races to judicial contests and statewide executive positions.

At the federal level, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff does not have a primary challenger, while the Republican field is more crowded, with multiple candidates vying for the nomination, including Congressman Buddy Carter, former football coach Derek Dooley, and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who is closely aligned with former President Donald Trump.

In the Democratic primary for governor, no clear frontrunner has emerged yet, with big names like former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and former State Senator Jason Esteves among the top contenders in a crowded field.

With early voting running through May 15 and election day on May 19, political scientist Andra Gillespie of Emory University advises voters to take advantage of the sample ballots posted by each county to get a sense of the candidates and issues before heading to the polls.