--- title: "Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. I. Governor: term of office; compensation and allowances." collection: code id: ga-const:art-v-sec-i-para-i cite_as: Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. I canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-i md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-i.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-i/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/2ga-const-(v2)-2016-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f5de823e_0#page=963 date: 2016 status: active corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68 license: CC0-1.0 publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/index.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-iv-sec-vii-para-ii.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-i-para-ii.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md version: the only printed version in_force: true current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly heading_path: CONSTITUTION OF THE / EXECUTIVE BRANCH / ELECTION OF GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR --- # Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. I. Governor: term of office; compensation and allowances. A constitution provision shown as in force is in force as printed in the volume. A court decision can make a printed provision unenforceable without changing the volume, and the volume does not record that. There shall be a Governor who shall hold office for a term of four years and until a successor shall be chosen and qualified. Persons holding the office of Governor may succeed themselves for one four-year term of office. Persons who have held the office of Governor and have succeeded themselves as hereinbefore provided shall not again be eligible to be elected to that office until after the expiration of four years from the conclusion of their term as Governor. The compensation and allowances of the Governor shall be as provided by law. ## Cross References Salaries of public officers and employees generally, Ch. 7, T. 45. Governor generally, Ch. 12, T. 45. ## Editor's Notes The constitutional amendment (Ga. L. 1997, p. 1713) creating the Georgia Citizens Commission on Compensation of Public Officials was defeated at the 1998 November general election. ## 1976 Constitution. Art. V, Sec. I, Para. I. ## Provision of This Paragraph allow-Removal of Public Officer. Provision of Ga. Const. 1983, Art. V, Sec. II, Para. I that executive power shall be vested in a Governor does not imply authority in the Governor to remove a public officer during the officer’s tenure of office. Holder v. Anderson, 160 Ga. 433, 128 S.E. 181 (1925) (decided under Ga. Const. 1976, Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VIII). Cited in Thompson v. Talmadge, 201 Ga. 867, 41 S.E.2d 883 (1947); Maddox v. Fortson, 226 Ga. 71, 172 S.E.2d 595 (1970); Henderson v. Maddox, 227 Ga. 195, 179 S.E.2d 770 (1971); Frier v. City of Douglas, 233 Ga. 775, 213 S.E.2d 607 (1975). ## Purpose of Succession Provision. The provision that the Governor shall hold office for a term of four years and until a successor shall be chosen and qualified was a recognition by the framers of the Constitution that contingencies might happen which had not been specifically dealt with, the purpose being to avoid a vacancy in office when such contingency occurred. 1945-47 Op. Att’y Gen. p. 302. Extended tenure until successor ## Chosen and Qualified. This paragraph imposes upon incumbent Governor obligation of extended tenure of office until the Governor’s successor has been chosen and qualified. 1965-66 Op. Att’y Gen. No. 66-256. (see Ga. Const. 1983, Art. V, Sec. I, Para. I). ## Am. Jur. 2d. 38 Am. Jur. 2d, Governor, § 1. ## C.j.s. 81A C.J.S., States, § 211 et seq. ## Alr. Construction and effect of constitutional or statutory provisions disqualifying one for public office because of previous tenure of office, 59 ALR2d 716.