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) <ins>Except as provided for in Code Section 21-2-541.2, all</ins> <del>All</del> general municipal elections
to fill municipal offices <ins>conducted after December 31, 2026,</ins> shall be held on the Tuesday
next following the first Monday in November in each <del>odd-numbered</del> <ins>even-numbered</ins> 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. <ins>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."
</ins> 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
<del>or, in the case of municipalities, on the third Tuesday in July in each odd-numbered year."
</del> 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
<del>odd-numbered</del> <ins>even-numbered</ins> year."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.