HB 1531: Ball Ground, City of; primaries and elections shall be held and conducted in accordance with the Georgia Election Code; revise provisions

The City of Ball Ground currently operates under a charter approved in 1990 that sets its own rules for how city elections and primaries are conducted. This bill rewrites parts of that charter so the city's primaries and elections must instead follow Chapter 2 of Title 21 of Georgia law, known as the Georgia Election Code, which governs elections statewide. The bill also makes a related, conforming change to how candidates qualify. Candidates for the city's nonpartisan offices, such as mayor and council seats, must file a notice of candidacy during the city's nonpartisan qualifying period under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132. A separate provision on residency requirements for the mayor and council members is also rewritten, though its substance (12 months' prior residency and continued residency during service) stays largely the same. Any older laws that conflict with these changes are repealed.

• Requires that all primaries and elections for the City of Ball Ground be held and conducted under the statewide Georgia Election Code (O.C.G.A. Title 21, Chapter 2) instead of separate local rules.
• Requires candidates for nonpartisan city offices to file a notice of candidacy during the city's nonpartisan qualifying period, per O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132.
• Rewrites the charter's residency requirement so the mayor and council members must have lived in the city for 12 months before their election and remain residents and registered voters during their term.
• Repeals any prior city charter provisions or other laws that conflict with these new election rules.

City of Ball Ground residents, voters, and anyone running for mayor or city council; the city's election officials who administer local elections; and county or state election staff who help conduct city elections under the statewide code.

By tying Ball Ground's local elections to the same statewide Georgia Election Code used elsewhere, the city's election procedures, such as qualifying deadlines and voting rules, would align with state law rather than older, city-specific provisions, which could reduce confusion for candidates and voters.

• Section 1 revises subsection (b) of Section 2.10 of the city charter, restating the four-year terms and 12-month residency requirement for mayor and council members.
• Section 2 revises subsection (b) of Section 2.11 of the city charter to require all city primaries and elections to follow the Georgia Election Code (O.C.G.A. Title 21, Chapter 2).
• Section 2 also requires nonpartisan candidates to file a notice of candidacy during the city's nonpartisan qualifying period under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting prior laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 581
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-23Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-20House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 20, 2026

   153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #734

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 25, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #799

• local elections
• municipal charter
• election rules
• Ball Ground
• candidate qualifying