Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 593: Baker County; probate judge; provide nonpartisan elections
Last action May 13, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 593 would make future elections for Baker County's probate judge nonpartisan, removing party labels from the ballot for that office.
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
Currently the probate judge of Baker County is elected in a partisan election, meaning candidates run under party labels like Republican or Democrat. This bill changes that going forward: all elections for Baker County probate judge held after the law takes effect would be nonpartisan, following the rules already set out in Georgia's election law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-139) for nonpartisan races. The bill does not disturb the current probate judge's term. Whoever holds the office when the law takes effect finishes out that term under the old rules and can run again under the new nonpartisan system. The change applies only to Baker County and only to the probate judge position; it repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Converts future elections for the Baker County probate judge from partisan to nonpartisan, meaning candidates will no longer run under party labels.
- Requires these nonpartisan elections to follow the procedures already set out in Georgia's election law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-139) and the Georgia Election Code.
- Schedules the nonpartisan elections to occur at the general nonpartisan election held right before the current term expires.
- Protects the sitting probate judge's current term from being cut short and allows that judge to run again under the new nonpartisan rules.
- Repeals any existing state or local laws that conflict with this change.
Who it affects
This bill affects voters in Baker County, candidates for the office of probate judge there, and the current sitting probate judge, whose term is preserved. It does not affect probate judge elections in any other Georgia county.
Why it matters
Once in effect, Baker County residents would vote for probate judge without seeing party affiliation on the ballot, which could change how candidates campaign and how voters choose between them. The current judge keeps his or her term unaffected by the switch.
Key provisions
- Section 1 declares that all Baker County probate judge elections held after the law takes effect will be nonpartisan, run under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-139 and the Georgia Election Code.
- Section 1 specifies these elections happen at the general nonpartisan election immediately before the current term expires.
- Section 2 preserves the current probate judge's term and allows that judge to seek reelection under the new nonpartisan format.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“All elections for the office of probate judge of Baker County conducted after the effective date of this Act shall be nonpartisan elections as provided for in Code Section 21-2-139 of the O.C.G.A.”
“The sitting probate judge shall serve out the term of office for which he or she was elected and shall be eligible to succeed himself or herself as provided in this Act.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 204
- 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
- Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2025
150 yea, 20 nay (2 not voting, 8 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 20, 2025
51 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 1 excused)
Topics
- local elections
- Baker County
- probate judge
- nonpartisan elections
- Georgia election law