ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia’s 2026 political season isn’t waiting for Labor Day.

June is the turning point.

Voters will decide high-stakes runoffs on June 16 that will set the fall ballot for governor and U.S. Senate, while lawmakers return to Atlanta the very next day for a rare special session to redraw congressional and legislative maps ahead of 2028.

Why this matters

• June 16 will lock in the general election matchups for governor and a pivotal U.S. Senate race.
• The outcome could steer Georgia’s policy direction and party control for years.
• Redistricting talks starting June 17 could reshape who has power in Congress and at the Gold Dome in 2028 and even the next decade.
• Turnout in a runoff often hinges on base mobilization, making small shifts potentially decisive.

The marquee showdown is the Republican runoff for governor between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson. The winner advances to a November matchup with Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former one-term Atlanta mayor, in the race to become Georgia’s 83rd governor.

Also on June 16, Republicans will choose who challenges U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff this fall: U.S. Rep. Mike Collins or former football coach-turned-candidate Derek Dooley. Several other runoffs will finalize nominees up and down the ballot, including key statewide offices.

> Mike Collins denounces campaign social media post slamming Matt Lauer accuser

The June runoffs will also decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for lieutenant governor and secretary of state; and the Democratic nominees for insurance and labor commissioner.

> Everything to know about Georgia’s June runoff election

The day after the runoff, Gov. Brian Kemp will recall Georgia lawmakers to Atlanta for a rare special session that will redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps ahead of the 2028 elections.

Only days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais, Kemp said while Georgia will not redraw its maps for the 2026 elections, it will adopt new district lines ahead of 2028.

Why Louisiana v. Callais matters to Georgia

• The Louisiana v. Callais decision weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key law used to challenge discriminatory election maps.
• That means Georgia voters may face higher hurdles to sue over district lines they believe dilute minority voting power.
• The ruling could make it easier for unfair maps to stay in place longer, shaping who can realistically win elections in Georgia.
• It may affect representation not just in Congress, but also in Georgia’s legislature and local governments.

The Supreme Court case centered on a Louisiana congressional district and addressed how race can be considered when drawing voting maps and how challenges under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act are evaluated.

Voting rights advocates have warned the decision could make it harder to challenge maps that weaken minority voting power, while supporters say it limits race-based line drawing and reduces judicial involvement.

Here is a list of major election dates in June:

• June 5 - last day to request an absentee ballot for the runoff
• June 8 -early voting begins for June runoff
• June 12 - early voting ends for June runoff
• June 16 - runoff election
• June 17 - Georgia legislature convenes to begin redrawing its legislative maps ahead of 2028.
• June 29 - last day to register to vote in the July 28 special election to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Rep. David Scott’s term in office for the 13th congressional district.

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