Georgia CommonsSB 573: Primaries and Elections; the nonpartisan election for county officers and district attorneys in certain counties; provide
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 6, 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 573
By: Senators Setzler of the 37th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Albers of the 56th, Still of the 48th and Dixon of the 45th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to primaries and elections generally, so as to provide for the nonpartisan election for county officers and district attorneys in certain counties; to provide for the qualifying for such offices; to provide a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; 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 office, by revising subsections (a) and (b) as follows:
"(a) The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, members of Congress, district attorneys not elected pursuant to Code Section 21-2-140, members of the General Assembly, and county officers not elected pursuant to Code Section 21-2-139 or 21-2-140 shall be elected in the November election next preceding the expiration of the term of office.
(b) Justices of the Supreme Court, Judges of the Court of Appeals, judges of the superior courts, district attorneys elected pursuant to Code Section 21-2-140, and county judicial officers, offices of local school boards, and nonpartisan offices elected pursuant to Code Section 21-2-139 or 21-2-140 shall be elected in the nonpartisan general election next preceding the expiration of the term of office."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-132, relating to filing notice of candidacy, nomination petition, and affidavit, reopening qualifying period, payment of qualifying fee, and pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition for exemption from qualifying fee, as follows:
"(2) Each candidate for a county judicial office, a local board of education office, or an office of a consolidated government, or the candidate's agent, desiring to have his or her name placed on the nonpartisan election ballot shall file notice of candidacy in the office of the superintendent no earlier than 9:00 A.M. on the Monday of the eleventh week immediately prior to the election and no later than 12:00 Noon on the Friday immediately following such Monday, notwithstanding the fact that any such days may be legal holidays;"
SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"21-2-140.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'medical examiner county' means any county in which the governing authority of the county appoints a medical examiner in lieu of an elected coroner, regardless of whether such appointment is made pursuant to a local constitutional amendment or by general law.
(b) Except as provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section, all candidates to fill elected county offices in a medical examiner county shall be elected in nonpartisan elections.
(c) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to:
(1) The office of county sheriff;
(2) Offices of local boards of education; or
(3) Offices of county governing authorities established pursuant to or authorized by a local constitutional amendment.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, all candidates to fill the office of district attorney for a judicial circuit comprised solely of a medical examiner county shall be elected in nonpartisan elections. All candidates to fill the office of district attorney for a judicial circuit comprised solely of a medical examiner county shall qualify with the Secretary of State in the same manner as provided for candidates to qualify for the office of judge in Code Section 21-2-138.
(e) Such county officers and district attorneys shall be elected in nonpartisan elections held and conducted in conjunction with the general primary in even-numbered years in accordance with this chapter without a prior nonpartisan primary. Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, the procedures employed in such elections shall conform as nearly as practicable to the procedures governing nonpartisan elections as provided in this chapter. Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, the election procedures established by any existing local law which provides for the partisan election of candidates to fill elected county offices shall be repealed and elections for such county offices shall be conducted as nonpartisan elections accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter, notwithstanding the provisions of any existing local law."
SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027.
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.