Student Voter's Guide
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UNG VOTES! 2018 (Courtesy of the PSSA and the SGA) FREE for YOU! Student Voter’s Guide To the May 22nd State Primaries Political Science Student Association President – Meredith Shea Faculty Advisor – Dr. Carl Cavalli Voters Guide co-ordinator – Catherine Sartain Supporting Organization: The American Democracy Project Table of Contents Democratic Candidates for Governor ...................................................... 1 Republican Candidates for Governor ....................................................... 3 Democratic Candidates for Lt. Governor ................................................. 5 Republican Candidates for Lt. Governor .................................................. 6 Democratic Candidates for Secretary of State ......................................... 7 Republican Candidates for Secretary of State ......................................... 8 Candidates for Contested U.S. House Districts ....................................... 9 Candidates for Contested State House Districts .................................... 20 Candidates for Contested State Senate Districts ................................... 22 U.S. Congressional District Map for Georgia ......................................... 23 State House District Map for Georgia .................................................... 24 State Senate District Map for Georgia ................................................... 25 This voter’s guide is designed to assist University of North Georgia students in the May 22nd primary vote. The guide contains information on the Democratic and Republican nominees for state and federal offices. This guide is a unique benefit to UNG students as the questions reprinted here were gathered from our students. In the spring of 2018, the PSSA surveyed UNG students regarding the issues about which they are most concerned. This guide presents candidate information for the three top issues. We’ve done our best to provide as much information as possible given both space limitations and information availability. We apologize for any errors or omissions. Every effort was made to accurately represent candidate positions. Print versions of this guide and other primary information material were produced by UNG Print Services using funding from the SGA. The PSSA thanks both for their efforts. We are also very grateful for the ongoing support of the UNG American Democracy Project. An important note about REGISTRATION: To vote in the May 20th primary, you must be registered by April 24th. If you are not registered by then, you may not vote in this primary. However, you may always register for future elections. You can register online here: https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/ To check your registration status, or for ballot and polling place information, see: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all information is from candidate web sites. Editing for space was unavoidable, but every effort was made to preserve the candidates’ intent. See our Facebook page (and like us!) for updated election information: https://www.facebook.com/UNGPSSA Legend: * = Incumbent Democratic Candidates for Governor Stacey Abrams – Former State Representative , https://staceyabrams.com/ • Gun Control/Gun Rights: Stacey Abrams is the only Democratic candidate for governor with a proven track record of voting against legislation that would put guns in the wrong hands, including opposing SB 350 in 2012, and opposing 2017’s NRA omnibus bill, HR 292 Read more about her plan to reduce gun violence in Georgia: Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands: - Support Survivors of Domestic Violence - Require Universal Background Checks - Allow Families to Petition for Extreme Risk Protection Orders Fix Our Broken Gun Laws - Immediate Repeal of 2012’s SB 350 - Immediate Repeal of 2017’s HB 280 Ensure People Receive the Help They Need - Expand Medicaid Support Violence Prevention Efforts, Including Hospital Interventions, Community • Immigration: Voted NAY on prohibiting state funding for sanctuary campuses (February 2017) Voted NAY on prohibiting undocumented immigrants from serving on local governing bodies (February 2016) Voted NAY on Immigration Enforcement Act (April 2011) Voted NAY on citizenship status verification of government assistance recipients (April 2009) Voted NAY on requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration (April 2009) Voted NAY on English only requirement for driver’s license examination (March 2009) Voted NAY on vehicle seizures for unlicensed drivers (April 2008) Voted NAY on increasing penalties for driving without a license (March 2008) Voted NAY on vehicle seizures for undocumented immigrant traffic violations (February 2008) Voted NAY on English as the official language of Georgia (February 2008) (votesmart.org) • The Economy/Job Development: We must build a Georgia where no one has to work more than one full-time job to make ends meet. A fair economy means investing in diverse businesses, fighting for equality in the workplace, lifting families out of poverty, and ensuring access to affordable healthcare. Fairness is the backbone of an economy that eliminates poverty and fosters prosperity for every family. • Georgia’s Advanced Energy Jobs Plan is the first in a series of economic revitalization proposals to deliver 25,000-45,000 long term, high wage jobs in Georgia – from construction, coding, sales, and installation to manufacturing and beyond. Georgia must have a bold and comprehensive economic vision to (1) ensure no person has to work more than one full-time job to make ends meet and (2) catalyze the creation of good-paying jobs in all 159 counties, at all skill levels. We must leverage our natural resources and assets, working together across sectors, to build an economy for every worker. Let’s imagine more for our state and create an economy that leads the nation in advanced energy jobs and local innovation. • Investment in Community Businesses: Small businesses employ more Georgians, and they can be started anywhere. As Governor, Stacey Abrams will direct more of our economic development dollars to our hometown businesses: the barbershop that wants to expand, the nurse who wants to launch a home healthcare company, the entrepreneur who can’t get venture capital in rural Georgia. Funds will be targeted to reach low-income communities and rural counties, and we will help Georgia businesses expand by offering access to capital. • Workplace Equality: We must demand that our workplaces never discriminate based on a person’s race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, or immigration status. As Governor, Stacey Abrams will promote policies to ensure pay equity and expand paid sick leave. Georgia should require a living wage in every county. Furthermore, the right to form a union and collectively bargain for fair wages and employment conditions is fundamental to workplace fairness. As Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams has never wavered in her opposition to legislation that would erode the rights of workers to bargain for fair pay and safe workplace conditions. While in the legislature, Stacey Abrams co-sponsored legislation to prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation by amending the Fair Employment Practices Act. As Governor, Stacey Abrams will continue to support a Georgia civil rights bill to protect the LGBTQ+ community, as well as immigrants, people of color, and people of faith, from discrimination in housing, public accommodation, and the workplace; create a body dedicated to enforcing these laws; and put in place 1 protections to all relevant sections of Georgia law. Stacey Abrams supports passage of hate crime legislation to protect LGBTQ+ Georgians and other communities facing discrimination. • Lift Families Out of Poverty: Moving from poverty to prosperity must be the mission of our next governor. Economic mobility improves neighborhoods and schools and decreases reliance on welfare programs and incarceration rates. As Minority Leader, Stacey defeated Republican tax plans to increase sales taxes on working families, and she opposed legislation to restore taxes on groceries. As Governor Abrams would improve tackle poverty among our working families by establishing a state Earned Income Tax Credit, bridging transition from welfare to work without immediately eliminating benefits, and expanding access to childcare tax credits and subsidies. She will also continue her fight to protect workers from misclassification as independent contractors and abusive on-call scheduling, providing families with predictable workweeks and predictable paychecks. • Access to Affordable Healthcare: Access to affordable healthcare is a right, and guaranteeing quality services improves families, communities and the workplace. As Minority Leader, Stacey worked to sign Georgians up for the Affordable Care Act and she has fought for Medicaid expansion – the only path forward for providing essential health coverage to the working poor and preventing closure of our rural hospitals and the economic collapse of surrounding communities. Stacey has spearheaded critical legislation combatting the misclassification of workers as independent contractors, which denies them Medicaid benefits they have earned. When elected governor, Stacey will work to expand Medicaid and provide coverage for 500,000 Georgians, create 56,000 jobs, stabilize our rural counties and explore pathways to universal coverage in our state. She will support reproductive freedom and access to treatment