Atlanta voters will decide in November whether they want to be able to buy alcohol on Sundays.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted 9-2 to put an initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Atlanta is the latest and biggest city in the state to give taxpayers the option of choosing if they want to buy alcohol on Sundays.

In Gwinnett County, 13 cities plan to hold November votes on the issue. Three of Cobb's six cities — Kennesaw, Smyrna and Acworth — have also approved alcohol votes for their November elections.

Cities and counties without 2011 elections likely will have to wait until next year to vote on the issue.

The Atlanta council also voted to hold the special school board election on Nov. 8.

Georgia is one of only three states with a ban on Sunday alcohol sales at stores.

Gov. Nathan Deal in April signed into law Senate Bill 10, which allows communities to vote on Sunday alcohol sales. The issue failed to pass the Legislature for years under former Gov. Sonny Perdue, a religious conservative who vowed to veto the legislation. He left office in January.

Grocery stores, the liquor industry, some business groups and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce backed the measure.

The Senate passed the bill 32-22, and the House approved the measure 127-44.

-- Dispatch editor Angel K. Brooks contributed to this article.

About the Author