Georgia Today: Primary elections are today; Manatees were stranded; NAACP calls for boycott

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgians are voting in high-profile races for the primaries today. The sheer number of decisions to be made at the polls has some people researching candidates at the last minute, and some voters say all those candidates' ads were too much. 

Mitzi Heath: I heard someone say, I think if you vote early, you should be excluded from all of the television ads and all of text messages, so I think that's a good idea. 

Peter Biello: Today is Tuesday, May 19. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. 

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Peter Biello: By the time you hear this podcast, the results of today's primary election may be in. You can check gpb.org/election to find the latest results. Voting in most Georgia counties kicked off smoothly this morning. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports. 

Sarah Kallis: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says the day started off smoothly for most precincts and lines have been shorter than 1 hour. He says election officials from his office will make their rounds to polling places throughout the day. 

Brad Raffensperger: Georgians are making their voices heard. Our inspectors are busy stopping by 600 polling locations to make sure that the procedures and the laws are being faithfully followed. 

Sarah Kallis: Raffensperger noted that some Cobb County precincts faced technical issues and implemented their backup systems. Over 1 million voters have already cast their ballots early. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state Capitol. 

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Peter Biello: Of particular interest in this election is the U.S. Senate primary. Republicans could decide on their challenger to Democratic U.S. Sen. John Ossoff. Also of note is the high spending slugfest for the GOP nomination for governor. More than $113 million have been spent on advertising in the Republican gubernatorial primary. In Macon, self-described conservative Mitzi Heath said the record amount spent on ads had no effect on how she voted. 

Mitzi Heath: I'm tired of the ads, tired of that. I heard someone say, I think if you vote early, you should be excluded from all of the television ads and all of text messages, so I think that's a good idea. 

Peter Biello: Georgia Democrats also are choosing their gubernatorial nominee, while four of Georgia's 14 U.S. House districts are open, and all judgeships are facing their general election. The sheer number of decisions to be made in voting during the primary inspired some voters to research the candidates before heading to the polls. Desiree Bohannon of Warner Robins pored over the races ahead of time on the primary ballot to make notes she carried into her polling place. 

Desiree Bohannon: It was overwhelming in there. I sat there three times and I re-scrolled over, back and forth. I wanted to make sure I got everything right and put in correctly, yeah, and that I felt good about my decision. I just wanted to know that the working class is heard. I want to know that kids are heard. That's really all that I care about. 

Peter Biello: Democrats statewide carried an edge over Republicans in the number of ballots requested heading into primary day. In Athens, Aarron Walters says he hopes his preferred candidate will continue the work of term-limited Mayor Kelly Gertz. 

Aarron Walters: But I can see, like, fire stations and schools and beautification and downtown being thoughtfully designed for pedestrians and events. 

Peter Biello: Today's elections could be the starting gun for costly runoffs if Democratic and Republican frontrunners don't clear the 50% plus 1 threshold to avoid another vote on June 16. Again, for the latest results, check out gpb.org/election. 

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Peter Biello: About a dozen manatees were temporarily stranded last Friday in Savannah. GPB's Jillian Magtoto reports from Hutchinson Island. 

Jillian Magtoto: Manatees rely on Georgia marsh grasses for food during their migration north in the summer. One prime marsh habitat sits behind the almost-year-old IGY Savannah Harbor Marina, which is protected by a seawall. Tara Cox, a marine sciences professor at Savannah State University, says the manatees at the marina were likely busy eating here when they got stranded. 

Tara Cox: When they went to exit, by that time the tide was too low and they couldn't get over the seawall. As far as I know, this has not happened before. 

Jillian Magtoto: Cox says being exposed to the sun at low tide could have been dangerous for the animals, but they managed to keep cool by wallowing in the mud before the tide rose about seven hours later. For GBB News, I'm Jillian Magtoto in Savannah. 

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Peter Biello: Home Depot continues to navigate a weak housing market and constrained consumer spending. The Atlanta-based retail giant released its first quarter earnings today, beating Wall Street expectations while profits fell from the first quarter of last year. The company's professional customers outperformed do-it-yourself individuals during the quarter. For the three months that ended on May 3, Home Depot earned nearly $3.3 billion, slightly less than the $3.4 billion earned in the first quarter of 2025. 

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Peter Biello: Columbus State University is launching an annual forum aimed at strengthening economic, cultural and strategic ties between Georgia and South Korea. The Georgia-Korea dialogue tomorrow comes 20 years after the auto giant Kia announced plans to build a manufacturing site in West Point. Daewoo Lee of the Korean Institute at Columbus State says that facility helped transform Georgia's economy. 

Daewoo Lee: The Kia decision back in 2006, it opened the door. And since then, Korean investment in Georgia has become much, much broader. We just mentioned that companies like Hanwha, SK, they build major factories of clean energy, electric vehicles and batteries. And even our, here in Columbus, J.S. Link America planned over $223 million rare magnet facility, which created over 520 jobs. So that shows Korea-Georgia ties are now reaching much broadly and much bigger scale. 

Peter Biello: He says the one-day forum is the first of its kind in Columbus, and it's expected to draw about 170 participants. 

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Peter Biello: The state's largest independent newspaper company has announced a new executive director. The Georgia Trust for Local News said yesterday that longtime digital media executive Cynthia DuBose will lead the organization beginning in June. The nonprofit National Trust for local news established the Georgia subsidiary in 2024. It now oversees 20 community papers, mostly in Middle Georgia. 

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Peter Biello: In sports, the NAACP is calling on Black athletes, alumni, fans, and the general public to boycott the athletic programs of public universities and states that aim to redistrict Black lawmakers. If Black athletes participate in the boycott, it could deplete rosters for powerhouse athletic programs across the South. The effort launched today comes as civil rights leaders aim to pressure Republican lawmakers. 

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Peter Biello: Also in baseball, the Miami Marlins shut out the MLB leading Atlanta Braves 12 to nothing last night. Reliever Aaron Bummer walked the bases loaded, then gave up a grand slam and another solo homer. And that ended his career wearing a Braves uniform, as the team announced he was released this morning. Adding to Atlanta's woes is Drake Baldwin, the slugging catcher who is now on the injured list with an oblique injury. On the bright side, however, Atlanta activated right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., who had been on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. The Braves and Marlins will play the second game of a four-game series tonight in Miami. 

Peter Biello: And that is a wrap on this edition of Georgia Today. Remember to check gpb.org/election for the latest election results and gpp.org/news for all the latest headlines. And if you haven't hit subscribe on this podcast yet, make sure you do it now. We're gonna have analysis of today's election on the podcast tomorrow. And if we've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Email us. The address is georgiatoday@gpb.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thank you again for listening. We will see you tomorrow. 

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For more on these stories and more, go to gpb.org/news.