May 21, 2026

In this episode of The Morning Drip on WRTO.fm (Radio Free Georgia), we clear the air on the latest political shakeups hitting our streets and our state. From the historic, record-breaking early voting numbers in Georgia’s primary elections to the complexities of nonpartisan ballots and the state Supreme Court, we cut through the noise with no spin and no nonsense. Plus, we dive into a heated discussion on the U.S. Supreme Court, the necessity of term limits for career politicians, and why ranked-choice voting might just be the solution we need.

Key Talking Points

Georgia Primaries & Early Voting Surges

•         Historic Turnout: Georgia saw a massive, record-breaking surge in early voting ahead of the primary election, with over 1 million residents (roughly 14% of active voters) casting early ballots. This marks a sharp reversal from the previous midterm cycle.

•         The Party Split: Early mail-in turnout was significantly higher among Democrats (approx. 580,000 ballots) compared to Republicans (approx. 430,000 ballots). Experts attribute depressed GOP numbers partly to Trump’s past criticisms of mail-in voting.

•         Redistricting Backlash: A late spike in Democratic participation followed Governor Brian Kemp’s call for a special session for mid-cycle redistricting—a move condemned by Democratic leaders as voter suppression.

The Blind Spots of Nonpartisan Ballots

•         The Power of Mail-In Ballots: Mail-in voting allows busy citizens the time to sit down, avoid the pressure of the voting booth, and thoroughly research verbose initiatives (like East SPLOST) and candidates.

•         The Supreme Court Conundrum: Many voters were surprised to learn that Georgia Supreme Court justices are elected on nonpartisan ballots. Without a "D" or "R" next to names, voters going in blind overwhelmingly default to the "incumbent".

•         Missed Opportunities: Despite eight of the nine sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices being appointed by Republican governors, challengers like Miracle Rankin (who missed winning by just two percentage points) and Jen Jordan struggled simply because everyday citizens didn't know who they were.

A Radical Proposal for the U.S. Supreme Court & Term Limits

•         Reforming SCOTUS: The current system of presidential appointments for lifetime terms is broken. We need to expand the U.S. Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices to match the 13 federal court districts. Justices should be elected by the specific geographical districts they represent, limited to 7-year terms, and capped at a 2-term maximum.

•         End Career Politicians: It's time for real term limits in Congress. Representatives should be limited to 4 or 5 terms (2-year terms), and Senators should be capped at 2 terms (6-year terms).

•         Ranked-Choice Voting: Before we fix anything else, every state needs to implement ranked-choice voting for every single race to give voters real power.

Get in Touch!

We want to hear from you! Were you confused by the nonpartisan layout of the state Supreme Court elections? How do you feel about the primary runoffs?

•         Text the Studio: 229-520-5957 (Text anytime! Note: Calls are only active during live broadcasts).

Email Us: morningdrip@radiotift.com.