Peach Pundit Podcast

Early voting is underway in Georgia, the debates are heating up, Donald Trump is headed to Dalton, and the Carter Center wants Republicans to help observe Georgia's elections. This week on Peach Pundit the Podcast, Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway welcome Jonathan Stonestreet and Monica Childers from the Carter Center for a candid discussion about election integrity, risk-limiting audits, and what it actually takes to verify an election result. Scot starts by addressing the elephant in the room: Jimmy Carter's 2019 comments questioning the legitimacy of Donald Trump's 2016 election victory. Can an organization founded by a Democratic president conduct politically neutral election observation? We put that question directly to our guests. From there, we get into the nuts and bolts of Georgia's risk-limiting audits, the difference between auditing election results and trusting voting machines, lessons learned from the 2020 election, and why independent observers from across the political spectrum are important. **And here's something Republicans should pay attention to:** The Carter Center is actively recruiting election observers in Georgia, including conservatives, and these are compensated positions. No previous election observation experience is required, and training is provided. **Sign up to become a Carter Center election observer:** https://airtable.com/appygAWWHJo7oEiXI/pagbbJEEy2OfhqA6t/form Elsewhere in the episode: - Georgia's early voting numbers are rolling in. Are Republicans doing enough to get their voters to the polls? - Scot has some serious complaints about the Atlanta Press Club's debate format. - Greg Dolezal and Josh McLaurin face off in a debate that left Scot and Buzz with plenty to say. - Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins trade blows in their Senate debate. - Brian Strickland and Tanya Miller clash over a data center allegation, raising larger questions about partisan websites masquerading as independent journalism. - Donald Trump is coming to Dalton. Will his visit help or hurt Georgia Republicans? - Raphael Warnock finally makes an appearance on the Georgia campaign trail after spending time in presidential primary states. - Georgia's Constitutional Amendment 1 would expand a preferential property tax program to as many as 4,000 acres of qualifying agricultural land. Scot digs into the unanswered questions, including what it could mean for rural taxpayers. Peach Pundit the Podcast is hosted by former Georgia state legislators Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway, bringing you Georgia politics, policy, commentary, and the occasional argument between friends. Support the podcast and join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/PeachPundit Read more Georgia political commentary: https://peachpundit.com/

Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms finally face off in the Georgia governor's race, and Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway have plenty to say about the debate, the candidates' competing visions, Medicaid expansion, minimum wage, data centers, and whether Georgia plumbers really drive Mercedes. Then things get serious. Georgia State Election Board Executive Director James Mills has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in Georgia elections, raising troubling questions about statutory authority, sensitive voter information, and the independence of Georgia's election system. Scot reveals what SEB member Salleigh Grubbs told him about the letter she was supposed to review before it was sent. Also this week: A Georgia Democratic House candidate recycles campaign photos from her failed California Senate campaign. Raphael Warnock hits the campaign trail across America, but skips Georgia. Is 2028 already on his mind? Katie Britt and Raphael Warnock team up to help the Atlanta Braves. Two Democratic lawmakers endorse Republican Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. An arrest follows alleged death threats against Congressman Mike Collins and his family. Georgia lawmakers get hands-on demonstrations of potential replacement voting systems. Early voting approaches as Republicans confront difficult polling and turnout questions. Plus, Joey Votto is a national treasure. Scot is prepared to fight Braves Country over it. Join Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway for Georgia politics, election news, political analysis, and commentary with a healthy dose of irreverence. Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/peachpundit Read more Georgia political news: https://peachpundit.com #GAPOL #GAGOP #GeorgiaPolitics

Georgia election policy takes center stage as Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway tackle a packed week of Georgia politics. A federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice lawsuit seeking an unredacted copy of Georgia’s statewide voter registration list from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Georgia Secretary of State Georgia officials are also investigating Democratic State House candidate David Dillie after voting records surfaced involving both Georgia and Nevada. Dillie denies casting the Nevada ballot. Georgia Recorder Then Scot breaks down the DVS-order problem, why researchers are concerned about protecting ballot anonymity, and the tradeoffs involved in the competing solutions being considered in Georgia. Scot and Buzz also discuss the State Election Board’s authority following the Georgia Supreme Court’s nondelegation ruling, the debate fight between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, 11Alive’s coverage of the governor’s race, the 2020 protests in Atlanta, Georgia’s new “I Voted” sticker and Brian Kemp’s latest suspension of the state motor-fuel tax. Plus, somehow, the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes become relevant to Georgia politics.

Former Georgia State Representative Wes Cantrell joins Scot Turner and Buzz Brockway to discuss his new book, The Job I Never Wanted, and the unlikely path that took him from political outsider to eight years in the Georgia House. Wes tells the story of the Sam Teasley phone call that started it all, why he initially had no interest in running, what surprised him once he entered the legislature, and what his years in politics taught him about faith, political relationships, legislative fights and his own mistakes. Then Atlanta News First anchor Rick Folbaum joins the show for a behind-the-scenes look at Georgia’s October gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates. Rick explains the modified town hall format, how undecided voters are being vetted, how he is preparing to moderate the October 6 debate between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, and why he believes the moderator should never become the story. After Rick, we return to Wes for the rest of his story and a candid look inside the Georgia House.

Georgia’s 2026 campaigns are starting to get real attention, and Scot and Buzz break down where things stand. This week: the massive advertising gap between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jon Ossoff’s multimillion-dollar investment in the Democratic Party of Georgia, and what it says about the organization of the two parties heading into November. They also discuss former Mike Collins staffer Jessica Hayes receiving national recognition, new questions surrounding the Chatham County elections office, Mitchell Horner’s growing push for local government accountability, and new Georgia Tech research on the economic impact of data centers. Plus, Scot unveils his experiment to build a college football ranking system from scratch, with no preseason rankings, recruiting rankings, conference prestige, or previous-season assumptions.