Georgia CommonsSB 422: Elections and Primaries; the date of most municipal elections shall be in even-numbered years; a one-year extension to the terms of office of most municipal officers; provide
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 4, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
Senate Bill 422
By: Senators Bearden of the 30th, Watson of the 11th, Williams of the 25th, Echols of the 49th, Hickman of the 4th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, so as to provide that the date of most municipal elections shall be in even-numbered years; to provide a one-year extension to the terms of office of most municipal officers for the transition of municipalities to even-numbered year election cycles; to provide that such extended terms of office shall not apply to certain municipal officers elected to two-year terms of office; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, is amended in Code Section 21-2-9, relating to date of election for offices, by revising subsection (c) as follows:
"(c) Except as provided for in Code Section 21-2-541.2, all All general municipal elections to fill municipal offices conducted after December 31, 2026, shall be held on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered even-numbered year. Public notice of such elections shall be published by the governing authority of the municipality in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality at least 30 days prior to the elections. In addition, the municipality shall immediately transmit a copy of such notice to the Secretary of State. Notwithstanding any provisions of any local law to the contrary, any municipal officer in office on December 31, 2026, shall have their term of office extended for an additional year so as to transition municipal elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years; provided, however, that such extended term shall not apply to those municipal officers elected to two-year terms of office in municipalities that also have staggered terms of office pursuant to Code Section 21-2-541.2."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-150, relating to date of general primary, as follows:
"21-2-150.
Whenever any political party holds a primary to nominate candidates for public offices to be filled in the ensuing November election, such primary shall be held on the Tuesday of the twenty-fourth week prior to the November general election in each even-numbered year or, in the case of municipalities, on the third Tuesday in July in each odd-numbered year."
SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-541.2, relating to providing by local law for terms of office, as follows:
"21-2-541.2.
Notwithstanding Code Section 1-3-11 or any other provision of this chapter, the General Assembly is authorized to provide by local law:
(1) For terms of two years for municipal offices, with the local law designating the offices to be elected and the time periods covered by such terms for each office;
(2) For municipal offices to change from concurrent terms to staggered terms or from staggered terms to concurrent terms, with the local law designating the terms for each office;
(3) For such terms to be staggered terms, with the local law designating the terms for each office;
(4) For general municipal elections to fill such offices to be held on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November in even-numbered years and on such day biennially thereafter and on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years and on such day biennially thereafter;
(5) For municipal offices elected pursuant to a prior local law authorized by this Code section to change to terms of office of four years, with the local law designating the offices to be elected and the time periods covered by such terms for each office;
(6) For general municipal elections to fill such offices to be held on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November in any year during the first six years immediately following the enactment of a local law pursuant to this Code section as necessary for the purpose of changing the election and terms of any such municipal offices to conform to this Code section;
(7) For initial terms of one, two, three, or four years as necessary to change the terms of such offices to four-year concurrent or staggered terms of office; and
(8) Except as authorized in paragraph (6) of this Code section, for general municipal elections to be held on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November of any odd-numbered even-numbered year."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.