Midterms Loom, Candidate Makes His Point

Sunday Solutions — Oct. 4, 2026

Good morning! We’re in the last week before midterm voting begins, and there’s a lot to see. We’re checking in on the race for Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, elections processes, car chase rules for immigration enforcement, and private school spending. And last, but not least, let’s take a look at how we count Americans. Flags up!

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NEWS: VOTING

Want one of these? You’ve got a deadline.

• If you’ve voted before you still should check your voter status now to make sure you are good to go. Here’s the link.
• And if you aren’t registered, go here to do it by Monday, OCT. 5 at midnight.

Then, you’ll be ready to get one of those new Georgia voter stickers when you cast you ballot. Early voting for the Nov. 3 General Election opens Oct. 13.

Quick poll: That new Georgia voter sticker: Love it? Hate it?

In more elections news, the State Election Board was busy this week, and the Georgia Secretary of State won another battle against the feds over handing over voters’ personal info.

• DOJ lawsuit seeking Georgia voters’ unredacted data dismissed, again
• Proposal requiring Georgia election workers to ‘shuffle’ ballots at polls fails to find support
• Georgia voters will see pen and paper at polls
• Georgia election board seeks federal oversight for voting machine updates

Join us Wednesday night and hear directly from Coastal Georgia elections officials about the elections process. Click below for more info.

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NEWS: POLITICS

Kingston stays the Trump course

In recent days, headlines have buzzed with President Donald Trump’s efforts to push GOP candidates to a win by asking them to pretend he’s on the ballot. While poll numbers in some red strongholds seem to be ignoring the plea, Republican candidate for Congress Jim Kingston is staying true. In recent days, he’s told reporters he’s a “foot soldier for Trump.” And it’s a reasonable strategy: The 1st District hasn’t elected a Democrat to Congress in three decades — Jim’s dad won the seat for the GOP in 1992. Most significantly, perhaps, in the past three presidential elections Trump has won the region by an average of at least 12 percent of the vote. The Current‘s Craig Nelson reports on the race, the Democratic opposition’s tactics to take the seat and what’s next.

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List of private schools receiving public money

In the first year of Georgia’s Promise Scholarship private school voucher program, families spent about $27 million on private school tuition, according to 2025-2026 school year numbers published by the state.

See the list here, or skip straight to Maggie Lee’s coverage of rising demand for the vouchers and the heavy spending at parochial schools.

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NEWS: UPDATES

Immigration enforcement, chases

A story last week reminds us how federal policies can hit home. In February, Chatham County teacher Linda Davis was killed as her car was slammed by a man being chased by federal Homeland Security personnel. A new internal memo to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers orders them not to engage in high-speed car chases and to make vehicle stops only if they have completed specific training. Here’s the story from The Associated Press.

In other news from the week:

• Brunswick Housing Authority terminates executive director: Interim director takes over after agency struggles with occupancy rates, waitlist. From The Current’s Jabari Gibbs.
• Long-awaited hydrant maps propel Liberty County fire updates: After devastating fires and years without adequate water to battle blazes, there’s movement to upgrade Liberty County’s fire protection east of I-95, reports The Current‘s Robin Kemp.
• Private interests overshadow stakeholders for new DNR dock rules: How did the state DNR plan to allow for longer docks after science and stakeholders agreed it was a bad idea? Story from The Current’s Mary Landers.
• Georgia voters see tough future for next generation ahead of midterm race, poll finds: At least one survey finds that concern for future generations will drive midterm voters. Governor candidates weigh in. From Georgia Recorder.

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EDITORS CHOICE: COMMUNITY

☕ Your second cup: What & who counts

New guidance from the Trump administration could mean serious changes to how the 2030 U.S. Census is conducted: Not everyone will count, despite guidance from the U.S. Constitution. that says all persons should be counted in order to apportion U.S. House districts and ensure power be spread equally among the population and not just by states. It should, for all practical purposes, give us a look at who we are as a country. The proposed changes would make that a lot harder. The publication Governing sat down with Robert Santos, former director of the Census Bureau, to see what the new rules will mean for governments, transportation planners, health providers, and the rest of us.

Read the Q&A to get some history on why diversity questions matter in the U.S. Census.

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