It’s runoff election day in Georgia, with Atlanta City Council and county seats on the line
A final round of voting Tuesday will settle races for the Atlanta City Council, the DeKalb County Commission and local contests across the state.
The low-key runoff is the last election of the year, involving 18 seats across Georgia where candidates fell short of the majority required by state law to be declared the winner.
Most Georgia voters don’t have any runoffs on the ballot Tuesday after last month’s election already decided the outcome.
But with low turnout expected, each voter could have a greater impact on the outcome than in a general election.
“While national elections get all the headlines, it’s local elections that determine whether there’s a community center in your neighborhood, if public transportation runs to your area, and even whether or not your streets get fixed,” said Miatta Harris, a student organizer for the group Equity for All.
Two candidates are seeking a high-profile citywide seat on the Atlanta City Council: school board member Eshé Collins and longtime educator Nicole Evans Jones.
In DeKalb, two of seven seats on the County Commission are at stake Tuesday.
Andrew Walter Bell faces Nicole Massiah for the District 3 seat that covers southwest DeKalb, while Jacqueline Adams and LaDena Bolton are on the ballot for District 7, a super district that includes the eastern half of the county.
Runoffs are being held in 13 of the state’s 159 counties.
Other races in metro Atlanta include contests for the Doraville City Council, the East Point City Council, the Henry County Commission and the Mulberry City Council.
Voters can find their sample ballots, districts and precinct locations on the state’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov.
— Return to ajc.com for results after the polls close
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
