HB1120: HB1120 Union County; governing authority; change from a sole commissioner to a five-member board of commissioners; provide advisory referendum

Union County is currently governed by a single elected commissioner rather than a multi-member board, which is how many other Georgia counties operate. This bill does not change that structure itself. Instead, it orders the county's election superintendent to hold an advisory referendum, a nonbinding poll of voters, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026. The ballot will ask voters a yes-or-no question about whether Union County's government should move from a sole commissioner to a five-member board. Union County must pay for the election, and the superintendent must publish notice of the vote weekly for two weeks beforehand and report results to the Secretary of State. If the superintendent refuses to hold the vote, any Union County voter can go to court and get a judge to order it done, either on the scheduled date or the next available special election date.

• Directs Union County's election superintendent to hold a nonbinding advisory referendum on November 3, 2026, asking whether the county should switch from a sole commissioner to a five-member board.
• Sets the exact ballot wording voters will see, with 'Yes' meaning support for a five-member board and 'No' meaning support for keeping the sole commissioner.
• Requires Union County to pay the cost of holding the referendum.
• Requires the election superintendent to publish the date and purpose of the vote weekly for two weeks before the election.
• Allows any Union County voter to seek a court order (a writ of mandamus) forcing the superintendent to hold the vote if he or she refuses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this Act.

Registered voters in Union County, who will see this question on their November 2026 ballot; the county election superintendent, who must organize and pay for the vote; and county taxpayers, since Union County bears the election's cost.

The vote itself would not change how Union County is governed, since it is only advisory, but it gives county leaders and the General Assembly a formal read on whether residents want to move away from single-commissioner rule toward a multi-member board, a structural change that would likely require separate legislation to actually take effect.

• Section 1 states the referendum serves a public purpose and is an essential governmental function justifying the use of public funds.
• Section 2 orders the election superintendent to call the referendum for November 3, 2026, and spells out the exact ballot question and yes/no format.
• Section 2 requires two weeks of published notice before the election and certification of results to the Secretary of State.
• Section 2 makes these duties mandatory and lets any elector sue for a writ of mandamus if the superintendent does not comply, with courts able to order a rescheduled special election under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-540.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-06-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 660
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-03Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-24Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-20House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 20, 2026

   162 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 6 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #537

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2026

   45 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #600

• Union County government
• county commissioners
• advisory referendum
• local elections
• 2026 ballot