How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting the Presidential primary election in Georgia

The COVID-19 emergency has pushed back the Presidential Primary election to May 19.

Originally, Georgians were to have cast Presidential Primary ballots on March 24. However, Secretary of State Brian Raffensperger and officials with the Democratic Party of Georgia agreed to call off the March 24 race and regroup.

That’s of little significance to Republican voters, who only have one candidate on their primary ballot, President Donald J. Trump.

For Democrats, the March 24 primary ballot contains a long list of candidates, several of whom already have dropped out of the race as the party coalesces around Joseph R. Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Other candidates included on the March 24 Democratic Presidential primary ballot include Michael Bennett, Michael R. Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, John K. Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Deval Patrick, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang.

Of those listed, only Biden, Sanders and Gabbard remain in the race. As of press time, Biden had 898 of the 1,991 delegates needed to secure the Democratic Party nomination as its candidate. Sanders had 745, while Gabbard had two.

Of those who have dropped out, Warren was in third place with 72 delegates; Bloomberg was next with 61 delegates; Buttigieg had 26 and Klobuchar had seven.

If you have not yet voted in the Presidential Preference Primary, you will be able to do so on May 19, which is the same day as the General Primary Election for county, state and Congressional offices.

If you already have cast your Presidential Primary ballot, it will be counted on May 19, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

As of press time, state officials were considering whether to send paper absentee ballots to all registered voters in Georgia. However, you can go ahead and order your own absentee ballot now if you want to and it will be mailed to the address on your current voter registration card.

Here’s how to cast an absentee ballot:

Fill out an application for an absentee ballot. Here is a link to the application online: https://sos.ga.gov/admin/files/Absentee_Ballot_Application_2018.pdf

♦ Fill it out and return it to the Albany/Dougherty County Voter Registration and Elections, Government Center Building, 222 Pine Avenue, 2nd Floor, Room 220, Albany, GA 31702.

♦ Georgia law gives you until the Friday before the election to cast your absentee ballot. That would be Friday, May 15. Do not wait until the last minute to cast your absentee ballot by U.S. mail.

You can submit your absentee ballot to the Albany/Dougherty County Voter Registration and Elections:

♦ In person at the address listed above.

♦ as an e-mail attachment to [email protected].

♦ By fax to (229) 438-3975.

Should you have any questions about casting your absentee ballot or about any other election-related matters, call the Albany/Dougherty County Voter Registration and Elections at (229) 431-3247.