President Trump’s recent executive order aimed at restricting mail-in voting is introducing uncertainty ahead of November’s election. While legal experts widely expect the order to be struck down in court, it has already created confusion among voters and state officials.
With nearly one in three Americans voting by mail in the 2024 general election, even temporary uncertainty could discourage participation. In the meantime, some state officials may begin taking steps to comply with the order—changes that could prove difficult to reverse quickly, even if the courts ultimately invalidate it.
Georgia is once again expected to play a pivotal role in this year’s midterm elections, with races for a competitive U.S. Senate seat and a new governor drawing national attention.
Key races include: the governor’s race which has a crowded field of some high profile contenders including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.
On the federal level incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) is running for a second term in a high-profile race. The Attorney General seat is also up for grabs since incumbent Chris Carr (R) decided to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Democrats in the race include Tanya Miller – Georgia State Rep. (District 62); assistant district attorney in Fulton County and Robert Trammell – former Georgia State Rep. (District 132).
The winner of the Republican and Democratic primaries will face off in the general election on November 3.
With only five weeks left until the state’s closely contested watched primaries among Republicans and Democrats will be decided, voting in primaries and runoffs will be critical. Runoffs before the state’s nationally wanted general elections on Nov. 3, 2026 will chart the state’s electoral future for at least the next four years.
Georgia’s federal races could also directly impact the balance of political power in Washington, D.C.
Here are some key voting and election dates from now through June:
- April 20, 2026 – Absentee ballots mailed for May primary
- April 20, 2026 – Last day to register to vote in May primary
- April 27, 2026 – Early voting begins for May primary
- May 2, 2026 – First day of Saturday voting for May primary
- May 3, 2026 – First optional Sunday voting for May primary
- May 8, 2026 – Last day to request an absentee ballot for May primary
- May 9, 2026 – Saturday voting for May primary
- May 10, 2026 – Optional Sunday voting for May primary
- May 15, 2026 – Last day of early voting for May primary
- May 18, 2026 – Last day to register for the June runoff
- May 19, 2026 – Georgia primary elections
- June 5, 2026 – Last day to request an absentee ballot for the June runoff
- June 8, 2026 – First day of early voting in June runoff
- June 12, 2026 – Last day of early voting in June runoff
- June 16, 2026 – June runoff elections
