SB422: SB422 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

26 LC 47 3837 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 to1 elections and primaries generally, so as to provide that the date of most municipal elections2 shall be in even-numbered years; to provide a one-year extensio n to the terms of office of3 most municipal officers for the transition of municipalities to even-numbered year election4 cycles; to provide that such extended terms of office shall not apply to certain municipal5 officers elected to two-year terms of office; to provide for re lated matters; to repeal6 conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to elections and10 primaries generally, is amended in Code Section 21-2-9, relatin g to date of election for11 offices, by revising subsection (c) as follows:12 "(c) Except as provided for in Code Section 21-2-541.2, all All general municipal elections13 to fill municipal offices conducted after December 31, 2026, shall be held on the Tuesday14 next following the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered even-numbered year. 15 Public notice of such electi ons shall be publis hed by the gover ning authority of the16 S. B. 422 - 1 - 26 LC 47 3837 municipality in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality at least 30 days prior17 to the elections. In addition, the municipality shall immediat ely transmit a copy of such18 notice to the Secretary of State. Notwithstanding any provisio ns of any local law to the19 contrary, any municipal officer in office on December 31, 2026, shall have their term of20 office extended for an additional year so as to transition muni cipal elections from21 odd-numbered to even-numbered years; provided, however, that such extended term shall22 not apply to those municipal officers elected to two-year terms of office in municipalities23 that also have staggered terms of office pursuant to Code Section 21-2-541.2."24 SECTION 2.25 Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-1 50, relating to date of26 general primary, as follows:27 "21-2-150.28 Whenever any political party holds a primary to nominate candidates for public offices to29 be filled in the ensuing November election, such primary shall be held on the Tuesday of30 the twenty-fourth week prior to the November general election in each even-numbered year31 or, in the case of municipalities, on the third Tuesday in July in each odd-numbered year."32 SECTION 3.33 Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-541.2, relating to providing34 by local law for terms of office, as follows:35 "21-2-541.2.36 Notwithstanding Code Section 1-3-11 or any other provision of this chapter, the General37 Assembly is authorized to provide by local law:38 (1) For terms of two years for municipal offices, with the loc al law designating the39 offices to be elected and the time periods covered by such terms for each office;40 S. B. 422 - 2 - 26 LC 47 3837 (2) For municipal offices to change from concurrent terms to s taggered terms or from41 staggered terms to concurrent terms, with the local law designa ting the terms for each42 office;43 (3) For such terms to be staggered terms, with the local law d esignating the terms for44 each office;45 (4) For general municipal elections to fill such offices to be held on the Tuesday next46 following the first Monday in November in even-numbered years a nd on such day47 biennially thereafter and on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November48 in odd-numbered years and on such day biennially thereafter;49 (5) For municipal offices elected pursuant to a prior local law authorized by this Code50 section to change to terms of office of four years, with the lo cal law designating the51 offices to be elected and the time periods covered by such terms for each office;52 (6) For general municipal elections to fill such offices to be held on the Tuesday next53 following the first Monday in November in any year during the f irst six years54 immediately following the enactment of a local law pursuant to this Code section as55 necessary for the purpose of changing the election and terms of any such municipal56 offices to conform to this Code section;57 (7) For initial terms of one, two, three, or four years as necessary to change the terms of58 such offices to four-year concurrent or staggered terms of office; and59 (8) Except as authorized in paragraph (6) of this Code section , for general municipal60 elections to be held on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November of any61 odd-numbered even-numbered year."62 SECTION 4.63 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.64 S. B. 422 - 3 -