By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 27, 2024 | Since many Democrats, and no doubt also a substantial number of Republicans, think the biggest menace to the United States is Donald Trump, here’s a suggestion for Georgians who have not yet voted in the presidential primary, which is on March 12.
Vote against Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary. Do our country and yourself a favor and forgo having any voice in picking Democratic nominees in May, but cross over and vote in the Republican Primary in March, of course against Donald Trump.
Though you will find 11 names on the Republican presidential ballot, the only viable candidate remaining is Nikki Haley. So yes, vote for the former South Carolina governor, and give her your vote to win the presidential primary in Georgia. Almost certainly, Mrs. Haley won’t win the Georgia primary.
From Georgia’s sample GOP ballot. Click for more.
In Georgia, voters do not have to register by party, and are therefore able to choose in which nominating primary they may vote each time they go to the polls. With this in effect, if enough Democratic votes switched in 2024 to the Republican primary, and these people vote for Nikki Haley, it could inflict damage to the Trump campaign.
Of course, if Democrats vote in the Republican presidential primary in March, it would mean that when they returned to the polls in the General Primary in May, they would be required to vote in the Republican General Primary. As Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told GwinnettForum last week, “You have to pick one (party) and stay with them for primaries. Can’t change your horse in midstream.” Then in the November General Election, they can vote for any candidate in any party.
That makes sense. But what would the Democratic voters lose by voting in the Republican presidential primary? Not much. After all, there is virtually no way that President Joe Biden will fail to get the Democrat’s nomination for president in Georgia in March. We suspect that the Biden campaign will draw similar votes as the 2020 campaign. Then Biden won 85 percent of the vote, 921,063, against only Bernie Sanders, who got 101,668 votes, for a total of 1,023,845 Democrats voting. The 2024 Democratic vote will probably be far fewer, since it is not contested.
Similarly, in the 2020 Republican presidential primary in Georgia, Donald Trump got 947,352 votes, with only his name on the ballot.
From Georgia’s sample GOP ballot. Click for more.
These potential crossover Democratic voters voting in the Republican primary get an additional benefit. They can vote for local candidates in the Republican General Primary in May that they think would be the best people for the various offices. They even might help nominate the eventual winner in certain local races. And there’s every possibility that they could pick the Republicans they want to vote for in the primary without any of the Republican candidates calling them on the telephone and chatting them up, since they are known to have previously voted as Democrats. Most Republican candidates will never think to call them.
Another element for these possible Democratic switchers in 2024: even when voting Republican in the General Primary in May, they also get to vote for the non-partisan candidates, where we elect members of the School Board and judicial officers. The only aspect that they would be is that they would not be able to vote for the candidates seeking Democratic nominations.
Most likely, Donald Trump will win the Georgia primary. But local Democrats can cut into Trump’s margin and play with his mind by backing Nikki Haley.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Follow Us