# 2026 Georgia General Election: Criminal Justice & Prison Reform Voter Guide > 2026 Voter Education Guide Georgia's 2026 General Election& Prison Reform Who will run Georgia's prisons, prosecutions, and parole? This nonpartisan guide tracks the November ballot — the statewid… **Published**: 2026-03-14 **Source**: https://gps.press/2026-general-election/ **Author**: GPS Staff --- 2026 Voter Education Guide # Georgia's 2026 General Election & Prison Reform Who will run Georgia's prisons, prosecutions, and parole? This nonpartisan guide tracks the November ballot — the statewide offices, every legislative seat, and the districts where voters get no real choice at all. General Election: November 3, 2026 81/236 ## For 1 in 3 Georgians, the legislature is already decided. 81 of Georgia's 236 state House and Senate seats (34%) have **no major-party opponent** on the November ballot — the winner was effectively chosen in a low-turnout primary. In those districts, the votes that shape Georgia's prisons face no accountability at the general election. [See the No Choice districts →](/2026-no-choice/) ## The Crisis These Leaders Will Inherit 100+ Homicides in 2024 $1.8B GDC Annual Budget <5% Parole Rate for Lifers 50%+ CO Vacancy Rate In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice found that conditions in Georgia's prisons violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Homicides surged from 8 in 2018 to over 100 in 2024. The state spent hundreds of millions more on corrections — and every outcome got worse. The officials elected this November will decide whether Georgia addresses this crisis or ignores it. ## Explore the 2026 Ballot Built from Georgia Secretary of State official results (May 19 primary + June 16 runoff, 159/159 precincts reporting). Click through for the full matchups. [🚫 ### No Choice 81 of 236 legislative seats have no major-party opponent — 50 Democrat-only, 31 Republican-only, 72 unchallenged incumbents. See the Districts →](/2026-no-choice/) [🏛 ### Statewide Races Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, U.S. Senate & more — the November nominees for the offices that run Georgia's justice system. See the Matchups →](/2026-statewide-races/) [🏠 ### State House Races All 180 state House districts — November nominees by party, with unopposed seats flagged. Searchable. See the Races →](/2026-house-races/) [🏛 ### State Senate Races All 56 state Senate districts — November nominees by party, with unopposed seats flagged. Searchable. See the Races →](/2026-senate-races/) ## Why These Races Matter for Prison Reform Governor ### Sets the Agenda Appoints all five members of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Oversees the $1.8 billion GDC budget and sets the tone for criminal-justice policy statewide. Lieutenant Governor ### Controls Legislation Presides over the Georgia Senate. Controls committee assignments and which bills reach the floor — including parole transparency and sentencing reform. Attorney General ### Negotiates with DOJ Georgia's chief law-enforcement officer. Would negotiate any consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice over the unconstitutional prison conditions it found. ## Questions Every Candidate Should Answer GPS puts these questions to candidates for the offices that shape Georgia's prisons. This guide is updated as positions are documented. 1. The DOJ found Georgia's prisons violate the Eighth Amendment. Do you agree? What will you do about it? 2. Georgia spent hundreds of millions more on corrections in recent years and every outcome got worse. What would you do differently? 3. Will you support a Parole Board that increases parole grant rates from the current rate of under 5% for lifers? 4. Do you support independent oversight of GDC, including an inspector general with unannounced inspections? 5. Georgia's correctional-officer vacancy rate exceeds 50%, with high first-year turnover. How will you address it? 6. Do you support parole transparency and presumptive parole for elderly prisoners? 7. What is your position on Truth in Sentencing reform, mandatory minimums, and earned-time credits? 8. Would you pursue a consent decree with the DOJ or resist federal oversight? ## Legislation GPS Is Tracking GPS tracks how every Georgia legislator votes on bills that affect incarcerated people and their families. These votes determine each legislator's [GPS Accountability Score](/scorecard/). ### 2025–2026 Session [SB 79 OPPOSE Fentanyl Mandatory Minimums](/scorecard/bills/sb-79-fentanyl-eradication-and-removal-act-fentanyl-mandatory-minimums/) [SB 185 OPPOSE Transgender Prisoner Healthcare Ban](/scorecard/bills/sb-185-inmate-gender-treatment-ban-transgender-prisoner-healthcare/) [SB 39 OPPOSE Gender Care State Funding Ban](/scorecard/bills/sb-39-gender-care-state-funding-ban/) [SB 116 OPPOSE DNA Collection from Detained Immigrants](/scorecard/bills/sb-116-dna-collection-from-detained-immigrants/) [View Full Legislator Scorecard →](/scorecard/) ## How to Vote — November 3, 2026 [#### Election Day Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls open 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM. Find your assigned polling place on the Georgia My Voter Page. Find Your Polling Place →](https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/) [#### Register / Check Your Registration The voter-registration deadline for the November general election is in early October 2026 (about 29 days before Election Day). Confirm or update your registration now. Check / Update Registration →](https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/olvr-home) [#### Early (Advance) Voting In-person advance voting runs for about three weeks in October. Find your county's locations, dates, and hours. Find Early Voting Locations →](https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/advancedVotingInfo.do) [#### Absentee Voting Request an absentee ballot from your county elections office. Applications must be received by 11 days before the election. Request Absentee Ballot →](https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/voter-absentee-files) GPS does not endorse candidates. This guide presents documented positions and public records to inform voters. Race data: Georgia Secretary of State official results (results.sos.ga.gov), May 19, 2026 primary + June 16, 2026 runoff, 159/159 precincts reporting. A seat is "unopposed" when only one major party fielded a candidate; independents and political-body candidates may still petition onto the ballot through July 14, 2026, and these pages will be re-checked after that date. Updated June 2026. Find out who represents you. [Find your legislator](https://gps.press/find-your-legislator/) [Become a GPS Advocate](https://gps.press/become-an-advocate/)