What is a “Jungle Primary”?

A jungle primary is a type of election where everyone runs on the same ballot, no matter what political party they belong to.

Think of it like a big race where Democrats, Republicans, Independents—everyone runs together.

Step-by-Step: How It Works in Georgia

✅ Step 1: All Candidates Are on One Ballot

• Instead of separate ballots for each political party, all candidates appear on one ballot.

• Voters choose any candidate, no matter their party.

Example: You might see a Democrat, two Republicans, a Libertarian, and an Independent all listed together.

Step 2: Everyone Gets to Vote

• All voters can vote, no matter their party registration.

• You just pick your favorite candidate, regardless of political party.

Step 3: Win It All – If You Get Over 50%

• If one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, they win right away.

• No more elections needed.

⚔️ Step 4: Runoff If No One Gets 50%

• If no one gets over 50%, the top two vote-getters go to a runoff election.

• This means there will be a second election with just those two.

Even if both top candidates are from the same party, they can still face off in the runoff.

Why Does Georgia Use It?

• Georgia uses the jungle primary system only for special elections, like when a seat becomes open suddenly (for example, someone resigns or passes away).

• It helps fill the seat quickly without separate party primaries.

Example:

Let’s say there’s a special election for State Senate. Here are the candidates:

• Maria (Republican)

• James (Democrat)

• Lisa (Republican)

• Karen (Independent)

Everyone votes. No one gets over 50%.
Maria (40%) and James (30%) got the most votes.
They go to a runoff, and voters pick between those two in the final election.