DomeLight by Jim Zachary

The Georgia Presidential Primary will be held March 12, 2024.

The date is a bit later than some had hoped and perhaps comes sooner than others want.

Regardless of the date, Georgia voters will have a significant role to play in the outcome of both the presidential primary and the General Election.

It is possible that Georgia could be the deciding factor and there are not sure bets how the state’s Republicans will vote during this next cycle.

Former President Donald J. Trump leads all GOP national polls at this point but it is still way too early to tell what will happen as more candidates enter the race and the top tier begin to refine their pitch to primary voters.

Of course, looming large is a highly anticipated announcement from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, largely seen as the candidate who has the best chance against Trump but who also, ironically, seems the most Trump-like in a field that already includes some more temperate candidates.

It is not hyperbole to think that as Georgia goes, the nation will go in the primary but most especially in the General Election.

Every voter should understand the gravity of the election and know that not only does every vote count but in many ways the ballots of Georgia voters will weigh heavily.

That is why every vote should be an informed vote. Voters should vote their head more than their heart. Policy should matter more than personality. Substance should out weigh sizzle and positions should matter more than rhetoric.

Every vote should be an informed vote.

Facebook and Twitter are not the way to be informed.

Social media contains far more misinformation and disinformation than it does reliable information. It is nearly impossible to distinguish between what is reliable and unreliable when merely reading posts on Facebooks or threads of Tweets that contain no independent verification or sourcing.

People certainly have different opinions about what they consider the most reliable and trustworthy news source but regardless of where you go for news and information suffice it to say that the most unreliable sources will always be Facebook and Twitter.

Jim Zachary is the editor of The Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s director of newsroom training and development and president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.