Georgia is shifting its presidential primary to late March, leaving the group of states that vote on Super Tuesday.
The primary has been set for March 24, three weeks after Super Tuesday, which Georgia has joined in past election cycles.
The change announced Wednesday by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger could relegate Georgia voters to a less influential position in deciding each party's nominee.
But it will also give state and county election officials breathing room in a tight timeline to replace the state's outdated touchscreen voting machines. The new machines are being acquired and a vendor has not been selected yet.
Muscogee County elections director Nancy Boren says that having a certain date set allows her to complete crucial preparations like reserving polling locations and scheduling poll workers.