What was the County Unit System and which elections did it affect?

The County Unit System was a method used primarily in Georgia to determine the outcome of primary elections. Implemented in 1917, this system allocated a certain number of voting units to each county, regardless of their population size. It was designed to give more weight to rural counties over urban ones, thereby influencing the selection of candidates for state offices through a system that did not reflect the actual popular vote.

By affecting primary elections, the County Unit System played a critical role in shaping the candidates that would appear on the general election ballot in Georgia. This practice was seen as advantageous to rural interests and created an imbalance in representation, which ultimately led to significant political contention and reforms aimed at making elections more representative and equitable across urban and rural divides. The system was eventually found to be unconstitutional and was abolished in the 1960s, paving the way for more democratic processes in the state's elections.