-
The Other Side of the Ballot: Democratic Candidates and the Reality of Georgia’s 9th District
In a recent post, I took a look at the Republican primary for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District and the different candidates running there. In a district like ours, that primary is widely seen as the election that will decide who ends up in Congress.
Naturally, the next step seemed obvious—do the same thing for the Democratic candidates. Lay them out, compare their ideas, and give them the same level of attention. That’s how this is supposed to work, right?
But once I started digging into that, I ran into something unexpected. There just isn’t much there to evaluate. And that says something important—not just about this race, but about the system itself.
(more…) -
Nick Alex: A Different Kind of Candidate in Georgia’s 9th District
After spending some time looking at the broader landscape of Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, I wanted to take a step back and focus on the one Democrat who has stepped forward to run: Nick Alex.
In a district where most of the political attention is centered on the Republican primary, it would be easy to overlook a candidacy like this. But I don’t think that’s the right approach. Anyone willing to put their name on the ballot deserves a closer look—especially in a race where the odds are what they are.
Nick Alex isn’t coming up through the usual political pipeline. He’s a retired banking executive and a longtime resident of North Georgia, with decades of experience in the private sector. That background shapes how he talks about the role of government—less as an ideological battleground and more as something that should function responsibly and predictably.
What stands out right away is that he’s not running as a typical national Democrat. His positions reflect an awareness of the district he’s in. He’s spoken about the importance of border security, fiscal responsibility, and even support for Second Amendment rights. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s clear he’s trying to meet voters where they are rather than importing a platform from somewhere else.
(more…) -
Georgia’s QR Code Voting Crisis Demands Immediate Legislative Action
Georgia voters deserve confidence that their vote is accurately recorded, securely stored, and transparently counted. Right now, that confidence is under strain—not because of a single failure, but because of a structural flaw built into the state’s voting system: the use of QR codes on ballot-marking devices.
This is not a fringe concern. It is a practical, verifiable problem that cuts across party lines and goes to the heart of election integrity.
Georgia uses ballot-marking devices that print a paper ballot after a voter makes their selections. On its face, this sounds secure—a paper trail is created. But here’s the critical detail:
(more…) -
A Ballot Designed for Confusion
In Georgia State Senate District 7, voters are being asked to do something unusual: vote for the same office twice on the same day. One vote fills the seat immediately through a special election, while the other determines party nominees for the next full term through a primary. While technically sound from a legal standpoint, this structure creates a high likelihood of voter confusion—and that confusion has real consequences.
Most voters approach the ballot with a simple expectation: they are choosing their next representative. But in this case, that assumption breaks down. Instead, voters are faced with two parallel decisions that operate on different timelines. The special election determines who will serve right away, filling the vacancy left mid-term. The primary election, by contrast, sets up a future contest that will ultimately decide who holds the seat for the next full term.
(more…) -
Evaluating Andrew Clyde’s Record in Georgia’s 9th District: Accomplishments and Areas for Improvement
As voters in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District look toward the upcoming election, it is worth taking a thoughtful and measured look at the record of our current representative, Andrew Clyde. In a district as reliably conservative as ours, the question is often not about party control, but about how effectively that representation serves the people who live here.
Congressman Clyde has built a reputation as a principled and consistent conservative voice in Washington. His voting record reflects a clear commitment to limited government, fiscal restraint, and constitutional principles. For many in District 9, that consistency is not only expected—it is appreciated.
At the same time, representation is about more than ideology alone. It also involves delivering tangible results, maintaining strong connections to the district, and ensuring that local priorities are advanced alongside national ones.
(more…) -
The Case for Abolishing the Primary System and Restoring Open Elections
Every two years, millions of Americans go to the polls on Election Day believing they are exercising the full weight of their democratic franchise. What they don’t always realize is that the most consequential decisions — who will actually appear on that ballot — were made months earlier in a process funded by their tax dollars but designed to serve the interests of two private political organizations. The American primary system, as currently constructed, is not democracy. It is democracy wearing democracy’s clothes.
It is time to end it.
(more…) -
A Face on a Wall: How Is This Mural Divisive?
In Providence, Rhode Island, a mural of a 23-year-old woman’s face went up on the side of a building. It was unfinished. It hurt no one. It blocked no road, disturbed no peace, and broke no law. And yet the mayor of the city called for its removal, the surrounding community erupted in outrage, and the building’s owners ultimately surrendered to the pressure and agreed to paint over it. The woman’s name was Iryna Zarutska. She was a Ukrainian refugee who survived a war, crossed an ocean, and was then stabbed to death on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina by a career criminal with over a dozen prior arrests. She deserved better than what happened to her in Charlotte. She also deserved better than what happened to her in Providence.
(more…) -
Improving Ballot Access for Independent Candidates in Georgia
In a state as large and diverse as Georgia, voters should have meaningful choices when they go to the ballot box. But for independent and minor-party candidates, getting on that ballot is far more difficult than most people realize.
(more…)
Under current law, candidates who are not affiliated with major political parties must gather thousands—and in some cases tens of thousands—of petition signatures just to qualify. These signatures must come from registered voters and are subject to strict verification requirements. In practice, that means campaigns often need to collect far more than the minimum just to survive the review process.
For local races, this is challenging but sometimes achievable. For higher offices, such as Congress, it becomes a massive logistical and financial hurdle. The result is predictable: very few independent candidates ever make it onto the ballot.
This isn’t about removing standards or inviting chaos into our elections. Reasonable requirements are necessary to ensure that candidates demonstrate a basic level of public support. But Georgia’s system goes far beyond that. Compared to many other states, the barriers are simply too high and offer no practical alternatives.
There is a straightforward solution that would preserve election integrity while expanding voter choice: allow candidates to qualify either by collecting signatures or by paying a filing fee.
This approach is already used in other states. It ensures that candidates are serious while removing the need for costly and time-consuming petition drives that often discourage participation altogether.
Importantly, this is not a partisan issue. Whether a voter leans conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, everyone benefits from a system that allows more voices to be heard and more choices to be considered.
Georgia has made progress in many areas over the years. Ballot access reform is a reasonable next step—one that would strengthen, not weaken, our democratic process.
Voters deserve options. It’s time our system reflected that.
Things I think about things I see
[
[
[
]
]
]
The musings of Larry D Burton 