HB 1339: Columbus, City of; filling vacancies in office of mayor or councilor; revise provisions

Columbus, Georgia operates under a local charter that spells out how to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor or city councilor. This bill rewrites Section 6-201 of that charter to set clearer rules for when a vacancy should be filled by a special election versus a vote of the remaining council members. Under the revised language, if a vacancy happens more than 90 days before the general election where a successor would normally be chosen, the seat is filled through a special election called by the Muscogee County election superintendent within 30 days. If the vacancy happens 90 days or fewer before that election, the remaining council members pick a replacement by majority vote instead. The bill also keeps a special rule for the mayor's office: the mayor pro tempore becomes acting mayor and, if the vacancy falls within that 90 day window, succeeds to the office outright, with that person's council seat then filled separately.

• Rewrites Section 6-201 of the Columbus city charter to set new timing rules for filling vacancies in the mayor's or a councilor's office.
• Requires a special election under the Georgia Election Code (O.C.G.A. Chapter 2 of Title 21) when a vacancy occurs more than 90 days before the next general election.
• Allows the remaining city council members to fill a vacancy by majority vote when it occurs 90 days or fewer before the next general election.
• Requires the Muscogee County election superintendent to call any special election within 30 days of the vacancy being confirmed.
• Makes the mayor pro tempore the acting mayor automatically when the mayor's office is vacant, and lets that person succeed to the full term if the vacancy falls within the 90 day window.

Columbus, Georgia city officials, including the mayor, city councilors, and the mayor pro tempore, along with the Muscogee County election superintendent, who is responsible for calling special elections, and Columbus voters who would take part in any special election.

The bill changes who decides who fills an unexpected vacancy on the Columbus city government, either voters through a special election or the sitting council through an internal vote, depending on how close the vacancy occurs to the next general election. It also clarifies the mayor pro tempore's automatic role when the mayor's seat opens up.

• Section 1 replaces the existing text of Section 6-201 of the Columbus charter (Ga. L. 1993, p. 4978) governing vacancies in the mayor's or councilor's office.
• Subsection (a)(1) requires a special election under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-540 if the vacancy occurs more than 90 days before the relevant general election.
• Subsection (a)(2) lets the remaining council members fill the vacancy by majority vote if it occurs 90 days or fewer before that election.
• Subsection (a)(3) requires anyone chosen to fill a vacancy to meet the same qualifications as someone elected to a full term in that office.
• Subsection (a)(4) requires the Muscogee County election superintendent to call any special election within 30 days of the vacancy being established.
• Subsection (b) makes the mayor pro tempore the acting mayor during a mayoral vacancy and allows that person to succeed to the office if the vacancy falls within the 90 day window, with the resulting council seat filled separately.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-20Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-19House Passed/Adopted (House)
3. 2026-03-19House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-19House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
5. 2026-02-19House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-02-18House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-02-17House Hopper (House)

• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)Primary sponsor
• Debbie Buckner (D, HD-137)
• Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 19, 2026

   130 yea, 30 nay (12 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #723

• local government charters
• Columbus Georgia elections
• mayoral vacancy
• special elections
• city council succession