Should south Georgia become the 51st State of the United States?
While it is unlikely to happen, it hasn’t stopped the Pierce County Republican Party from asking.
"There is two Georgias," Pierce County Republican Party Chairwoman Kay Godwin said. She says after some discussion, it was decided to ask the question on a recent Republican Primary.
The question: Should everything south of Macon, Ga. become its own state known as South Georgia.
"For years politicians have come to south Georgia and made promise after promise about getting us things like jobs and broadband internet. But of course, we never get it," she said.
During the recent Pierce County primary, less than 30 percent of Pierce County Republican voters said they would be in favor of splitting off from the state.
"Rural America is declining. The numbers have been going that way for the last few decades. The population is shifting to urban and suburban areas," Blackshear Times Editor & Publisher Robert Williams said. He says the ballot question has brought attention to many of the issues facing south Georgia. He says the biggest issues include finding more jobs, adding faster internet and finding ways to keep younger generations from leaving town. "We are no different than many other rural Georgia and rural American towns."
But in southeast Georgia, everyone has an opinion regarding possible secession.
"I just like it the way that it is," said one-long time resident.
"We do get forgotten a lot," said another.
But the question isn't going anywhere, even if they know it won’t actually happen.
"I think we can succeed rather than secede," Williams said.