Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1489: Douglasville, City of; require candidates seeking election from a district to reside in such district for a certain amount of time prior to the date of such election
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date
A House bill amends Douglasville's city charter to require candidates running for a city council district seat to have lived in that district for at least twelve months before the election.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Douglasville's city charter previously required council candidates to have lived in the city for twelve months before an election, but it did not clearly require them to have lived specifically within the district they seek to represent. This bill rewrites Section 2.11 of the charter to add that requirement. Under the revised language, a person running for mayor or city council must still be at least 21 years old and have lived in the city for twelve months before the election. Now, candidates running for a council seat tied to a specific district must also have lived in that district for at least twelve months before the election. The bill states this residency rule applies to write-in candidates as well. The change takes effect once enacted, repealing any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Adds a new district residency requirement: council candidates running from a district must live in that district for at least twelve months before the election.
- Keeps the existing citywide rules that council members and the mayor must be at least 21 and have lived in the city for twelve months before the election.
- Requires council members to keep living in the city and stay registered to vote in city elections throughout their term.
- Extends the district residency requirement to write-in candidates seeking a district council seat.
- Repeals any prior laws that conflict with these updated charter provisions.
Who it affects
This affects anyone running for Douglasville City Council from a specific district, including write-in candidates, as well as current and future council members and the mayor, who must meet the charter's age and residency rules.
Why it matters
Voters in a given Douglasville council district would be assured that their representative actually lives among them, not just somewhere in the city. Prospective candidates who recently moved into a district would need to wait twelve months before they could run for that district's seat.
Key provisions
- Section 1 rewrites Section 2.11 of the Douglasville city charter (originally enacted in 1999) covering city council terms and candidate qualifications.
- Sets a four-year term for city council members, who serve until successors are elected and qualified.
- Requires mayoral and council candidates to be at least 21 years old and to have lived in the city for twelve months before the election.
- Adds a new requirement that district council candidates reside in their district for at least twelve months before the election.
- Applies the same district residency rule to write-in candidates.
- Section 2 repeals any laws that conflict with this Act.
From the bill
“Candidates seeking election as a councilmember from a district shall reside in such district for at least twelve months prior to the date of the election of members of the city council.”
“This residency requirement shall also apply to write-in candidates.”
Discussed in meetings (5)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House floor session, March 20, 2026 (legislative day 35)
From 0:49:01 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2900
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk reported a favorable committee recommendation for HB 1489 and later listed it as a City of Douglasville bill on the uncontested local calendar. No separate presentation or debate occurred. The House passed the calendar as a group, 153 to 0.
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM), 0:41:15
- Read aloud: House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, AM), 0:57:11
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 23, 2026 (legislative day 36), 0:29:35
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37), 0:36:34
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 568
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Sylvia Wayfer Baker (D, HD-64)
- Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-66)
- Kimberly New (R, HD-40)
Votes
- House voteMarch 20, 2026
153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 25, 2026
50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 excused)
Topics
- local elections
- Douglasville city charter
- candidate residency requirements
- city council