COLUMBUS, Ga. - Georgia's Nov. 3, 2026, election features an open governor's race, a U.S. Senate contest, three other statewide offices and three proposed constitutional amendments. Polling averages show a closely divided governor's race between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, while Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff leads Republican Mike Collins in the available Senate surveys. The latest forecaster ratings range from Tossup to Lean Democratic for governor, while most Senate ratings favor the Democratic incumbent.

Those ratings and polls are not election results, and polling can miss the eventual outcome. Margins of error are particularly important in races where candidates are separated by only a few percentage points, as is the case in several recent Georgia governor surveys. Election results are reported after polls close, and the information below reflects polling and forecaster assessments available through Nov. 2.

For Columbus and Muscogee County residents, the statewide races and constitutional amendments are part of the same Georgia ballot considered across the state. Individual sample ballots and polling place information can be found through the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov. The available information does not include separate polling or forecasts for local Muscogee County contests.

Governor: Polling averages show a narrow race

Georgia's governor's office is open because Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is not running. Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms are the nominees in a contest that national election forecasters rate differently. The polling averages collected from five organizations show Jackson at approximately 48.0% and Bottoms at 47.4%, a difference of 0.6 percentage points.

The five polling averages were reported as follows, with Jackson listed first:

• 270toWin: Jackson 48.8%, Bottoms 47.6% (polls from Oct. 7-23).
• Decision Desk HQ: Jackson 47.8%, Bottoms 47.8%.
• FiftyPlusOne: Jackson 48.0%, Bottoms 48.0%.
• RealClearPolitics: Jackson 47.8%, Bottoms 46.3%.
• Silver Bulletin: Jackson 47.7%, Bottoms 47.7%.
• Average of the five: Jackson 48.0%, Bottoms 47.4%.

Three of the five organizations show the candidates tied, while the other two give Jackson a small lead. The averages are summaries of polling rather than counts of ballots, and differences in how organizations calculate their averages can produce different numbers. None of the five averages establishes an election result.

Recent individual surveys show similarly small differences, although some place Bottoms ahead and others place Jackson ahead. State Navigate's Oct. 23-27 survey reported Bottoms at 50% and Jackson at 47%, while Echelon Insights' Oct. 16-23 survey reported Bottoms at 49% and Jackson at 48%. Other polls released or conducted during October showed Jackson leading by margins ranging from one to three percentage points.

The individual governor polls, with sample sizes and reported margins of error where available, were:

• Echelon Insights, Oct. 16-23: Jackson 48%, Bottoms 49%; 508 likely voters; margin of error 5.2 points.
• State Navigate, Oct. 23-27: Jackson 47%, Bottoms 50%; 679 likely voters; margin of error 3.8 points.
• University of Georgia, Oct. 7-15: Jackson 46%, Bottoms 45%; 1,000 likely voters; margin of error 3.1 points.
• InsiderAdvantage, Oct. 12-13: Jackson 49%, Bottoms 47%; 800 likely voters; margin of error 3.5 points.
• Quantus Insights, Oct. 15-17: Jackson 48%, Bottoms 47%; 755 likely voters; margin of error 3.8 points.
• ActiVote, Oct. 6-20: Jackson 51.5%, Bottoms 48.5%; 400 likely voters; margin of error 4.9 points.

Nearly every recent governor poll shows a candidate difference smaller than its reported margin of error. For example, the State Navigate survey's three-point difference between Bottoms and Jackson is smaller than its 3.8-point margin of error, while the University of Georgia survey's one-point difference is smaller than its 3.1-point margin. Quantus Insights published several versions of its numbers, and the figures above are one of them.

Governor forecasts: Tossup and Lean Democratic ratings

Election forecasters do not agree on a single rating for Georgia's governor contest. Cook Political Report rated it Tossup on Oct. 29, while Inside Elections rated it Tilt Democratic on the same date. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the race Lean Democratic on Nov. 2, and Decision Desk HQ and Silver Bulletin each used Lean Democratic ratings dated Nov. 1.

Other organizations described the contest as a Tossup. Fox News and NBC News each assigned that rating on Nov. 1, while RealClearPolitics reported a Tossup rating on Oct. 30. These categories represent each organization's assessment of the race, not a certified vote count or a finding that either candidate has won.

The variation matters because the polling averages show an extremely narrow difference, while several forecasting organizations give the Democratic nominee an advantage in their ratings. A Lean Democratic designation is not equivalent to a measured polling lead, and a Tossup designation does not mean the candidates have exactly equal support. The differing assessments show why ratings and individual survey results need to be distinguished.

U.S. Senate: Polling averages favor Jon Ossoff

Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff faces Republican Mike Collins, a U.S. representative, in Georgia's U.S. Senate race. Unlike the governor contest, the five listed Senate polling averages consistently show Ossoff ahead by several percentage points. Their combined average places Ossoff at 51.7% and Collins at 43.2%, based on polling averages extending through approximately Oct. 20.

The five Senate polling averages, with Ossoff listed first, were:

• 270toWin: Ossoff 52.0%, Collins 43.6%.
• Decision Desk HQ: Ossoff 51.5%, Collins 43.7%.
• FiftyPlusOne: Ossoff 51.7%, Collins 43.1%.
• RealClearPolitics: Ossoff 52.0%, Collins 43.4%.
• Silver Bulletin: Ossoff 51.3%, Collins 42.4%.
• Average of the five: Ossoff 51.7%, Collins 43.2%.

Recent individual polls also reported an Ossoff advantage. Echelon Insights, in an Oct. 27 release based on 508 likely voters, reported Ossoff at 55% and Collins at 40%, with a 5.2-point margin of error. ActiVote's Oct. 20 poll of 400 likely voters reported 54% for Ossoff and 46% for Collins, while Quantus Insights' Oct. 15-17 survey of 755 likely voters reported 53% to 45%, with a 3.8-point margin of error.

Trafalgar Group's Oct. 10 survey of 1,101 likely voters reported Ossoff at 51% and Collins at 43%. Taken together, the listed surveys show a consistent lead for Ossoff, although the size of that lead differs among pollsters. These numbers remain polling estimates rather than election results.

Forecasters also generally place the Senate race in Democratic-favored categories. Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, Decision Desk HQ, Fox News, NBC News, RealClearPolitics and The Economist rated the contest Likely Democratic, with ratings dated from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. CBS News and MS NOW rated it Lean Democratic, while Silver Bulletin rated it Solid Democratic and FiftyPlusOne and Split Ticket rated it Safe Democratic.

The categories differ in strength, but none represents a completed election outcome. A runoff is scheduled for Dec. 1 if no candidate receives a majority. The outcome of the Nov. 3 election determines whether that condition applies.

Lieutenant governor: One poll shows an exact tie

Republican Greg Dolezal and Democrat Josh McLaurin are the nominees for lieutenant governor. A Quantus Insights survey conducted Oct. 15-17 among 755 likely voters reported 47% support for Dolezal and 47% for McLaurin, with 6% undecided. The survey reported a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

That survey provides no measurable lead for either candidate in the reported figures. The 6% undecided share also means the poll did not assign every respondent to one of the nominees. No forecaster rating for the lieutenant governor contest was found.

Attorney general: Two polls show a close contest

Georgia's attorney general race features Republican Brian Strickland and Democrat Tanya Miller. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll conducted Oct. 7-15 among 1,000 likely voters reported the candidates tied at 44% each, with a 3.1-point margin of error. A separate Global Strategy Group poll, conducted Sept. 27-Oct. 1 for the Democratic Attorneys General Association, reported Miller at 46% and Strickland at 43%.

Global Strategy Group is a Democratic polling firm, and its survey was conducted for the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Identifying that sponsorship distinguishes the survey from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, which reported an exact tie. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the attorney general contest a Tossup on Oct. 29.

Both listed surveys show a relatively small difference between the candidates, with one tied and the other showing Miller ahead by three points. The available polling does not establish a decisive polling advantage for either nominee. The Tossup designation is a forecaster rating rather than a declaration of an election result.

Secretary of state: No candidate poll identified

Republican Tim Fleming and Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds are the nominees in Georgia's secretary of state contest. No public candidate poll for this race was found. Sabato's Crystal Ball assigned the race a Tossup rating on Oct. 29.

Without a published poll, there is no numerical candidate comparison to report. The Tossup designation identifies how that forecaster classified the contest as of Oct. 29. It does not provide a vote percentage for either candidate or establish an election outcome.

Three constitutional amendments: What yes and no mean

Georgia voters also face three proposed statewide constitutional amendments involving farmland taxation, probate court elections and emergency 911 funding. The ballot language was reported by WSB-TV on Oct. 19, and explanations were provided by WTOC on Oct. 28. No public polling on any of the three amendments was found, so there is no polling-based basis to project whether any amendment passes or fails.

Each proposed amendment requires a simple majority of those voting on that question to pass.

Amendment 1: Expanding conservation-use farmland acreage

Amendment 1 concerns the amount of qualifying land that can receive conservation-use property tax treatment. The ballot question asks whether Georgia should increase the maximum acreage for bona fide conservation-use property assessment and taxation from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. According to the Georgia Farm Bureau description, the underlying program provides a 10-year property tax reduction for farmland, timber and green space.

A yes vote supports increasing the qualifying acreage limit from 2,000 to 4,000 acres. A no vote keeps the existing limit at 2,000 acres.

Amendment 2: Nonpartisan elections for probate judges

Amendment 2 asks whether Georgia's Constitution should require all probate court judges to be elected through nonpartisan elections. Probate judges handle wills, estates, marriage licenses and firearms licenses, according to the amendment explanation. The proposed change applies to future elections.

A yes vote supports requiring nonpartisan elections for probate court judges throughout Georgia. A no vote rejects the proposed constitutional requirement for nonpartisan elections, leaving the existing constitutional arrangement unchanged by this proposal. The measure concerns how future probate judges are elected, not the specific people serving in those positions.

Amendment 3: Dedicated emergency 911 fund

Amendment 3 concerns funding for Georgia's emergency 911 systems. The proposal would authorize the General Assembly to dedicate certain existing revenues, including revenues reallocated by law, to a nonlapsing fund used exclusively for the expansion, maintenance and operation of emergency 911 systems. That proposed account is called the Georgia Next Generation 911 Fund.

The described purposes include system upgrades such as cellphone location tracking and the ability to send text or video to 911. A yes vote supports the proposed constitutional authorization for the dedicated fund, while a no vote rejects that authorization.

No public opinion poll was identified for the farmland, probate judge or emergency 911 amendments. No amendment is projected to pass or fail based on the available information.

What the figures mean before election results

For Columbus and Muscogee County readers, the statewide polling picture differs substantially by contest. The governor's race shows narrow polling differences and a mixture of Tossup, Tilt Democratic and Lean Democratic forecaster ratings, while the Senate race shows a larger Ossoff polling lead and predominantly Democratic-favored ratings. The lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state contests have more limited polling information in the material reviewed.

The three proposed constitutional amendments have no identified public polling. Their ballot questions concern the acreage eligible for conservation-use property tax treatment, the election process for probate judges and authorization of a dedicated emergency 911 fund. Georgia's Secretary of State provides individual sample ballot and polling place information through the My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Polls and ratings are not election results, polls can miss, and margins of error matter when comparing candidates. The reported figures reflect surveys, polling averages and forecaster assessments available before Election Day, not ballots counted on Nov. 3. Results are reported after polls close.