Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Georgia

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Georgia, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

  1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
  2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
  3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Georgia. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Georgia." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws


Year-specific filing information

2020

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Georgia in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Georgia, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Georgia U.S. Senate Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 36,180 1% of voters eligible to vote for the office in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Georgia in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Georgia, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Georgia 10th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 11th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 12th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 13th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 14th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 1st Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 2nd Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 3rd Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 4th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 5th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 6th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 7th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 8th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 9th Congressional District Qualified party N/A N/A $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia 10th Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,541 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 11th Congressional District Unaffiliated 17,480 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 12th Congressional District Unaffiliated 14,664 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 13th Congressional District Unaffiliated 17,152 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 14th Congressional District Unaffiliated 13,845 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 1st Congressional District Unaffiliated 15,656 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 2nd Congressional District Unaffiliated 13,915 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 3rd Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,591 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 4th Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,979 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 5th Congressional District Unaffiliated 18,577 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 6th Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,766 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 7th Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,448 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 8th Congressional District Unaffiliated 14,503 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source
Georgia 9th Congressional District Unaffiliated 16,082 5% of registered voters in the district in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $5,220.00 3% of annual salary 8/14/2020 Source

State House

The table below details filing requirements for Georgia House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Georgia House of Representatives Qualified party N/A $400.00 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia House of Representatives Unaffiliated 5% of registered voters residing in the district (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $400.00 8/14/2020 Source

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Georgia State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Georgia State Senate Qualified party N/A $400.00 3/6/2020 Source
Georgia State Senate Unaffiliated 5% of registered voters residing in the district (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) $400.00 8/14/2020 Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2018

See also: State and federal candidate filing deadlines for 2018 and Georgia elections, 2018

See below for 2018 candidate filing deadlines.

March 9, 2018

2016

See also: Georgia elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines for political candidates in Georgia in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline Event type Event description
January 31, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
March 7, 2016 Ballot access Filing period for party candidates opens
March 11, 2016 Ballot access Filing period for party candidates closes
March 31, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
May 24, 2016 Election date Primary election
June 27, 2016 Ballot access Filing period opens for independent and political body candidates
June 30, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
July 1, 2016 Ballot access Filing period closes for independent and political body candidates
July 12, 2016 Ballot access Petition filing deadline for independent and political body candidates
July 26, 2016 Election date Primary runoff
September 6, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for write-in candidates
September 30, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
October 25, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
November 8, 2016 Election date General election
December 6, 2016 Election date General runoff
December 31, 2016 Campaign finance Campaign finance report due
Sources: Georgia Secretary of State, "2016 Elections and Voter Registration Calendar," accessed September 21, 2015
Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, "Campaign Disclosure Report Filing Schedule," accessed November 25, 2015

2015


2014


Process to become a candidate

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 21, Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Georgia Code

There are four ways for a candidate to gain ballot access in Georgia: as a political party candidate, as a political organization candidate, as an independent candidate or as a write-in.

Requirements for all candidates

All candidates are required to pay a filing fee; filing fees vary from year-to-year. In lieu of a filing fee, a candidate may submit a pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition, which certifies that the candidate is unable to pay the fee. The affidavit includes a financial statement that lists the candidate's total income, assets, liabilities, and other relevant financial information. This information must indicate that the candidate has neither the assets nor the income to pay the qualifying fee normally required. The pauper's affidavit must be accompanied by a qualifying petition containing signatures as follows:[10]

  • One-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last general election if the candidate is seeking statewide office
  • 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the office being sought by the candidate if the candidate is seeking an office other than statewide office

Political party candidates

A political party candidate is nominated at his or her party's primary election. An individual cannot become a political party candidate if he or she has already qualified for the same primary election with a different political party, or if he or she has filed as an independent or political organization candidate. Political parties determine the rules for qualifying to appear on the primary election ballot. However, there are some stipulations set by the state to which all political party candidates must adhere. These include the following:[11][12][13]

  • filing a declaration of candidacy and an affidavit with the political party during the political party qualifying period, which is set by the Georgia Secretary of State; the affidavit must state the following:
    • the name of the candidate as he or she wishes it to appear on the ballot
    • the candidate’s residence
    • the candidate’s occupation
    • the candidate’s precinct
    • that the candidate is eligible to vote in the primary in which he or she is running
    • the office the candidate is seeking
    • that the candidate is eligible to hold the office he or she is seeking
    • that the candidate will not knowingly violate any election rule or law
    • that the candidate has never been convicted or sentenced for violation of election laws, malfeasance in office or a felony involving moral turpitude, or, if the candidate has been convicted and sentenced for such crimes, that at least 10 years have passed since completion of the sentence and that the candidate's civil rights have been restored
  • paying the qualifying fee or submitting a pauper's affidavit and the accompanying qualifying petition

Within three days of the end of the qualifying period, a political party must certify to the Georgia Secretary of State a list of those candidates who successfully qualified with the party for the primary election and turn in the qualifying fees paid by the candidates, the declarations of candidacy, and the affidavits.[14]

Political organization candidates

A political organization candidate can be nominated by his or her organization's convention, if the political organization has qualified to hold such a convention, or by petition. A candidate cannot file as a political organization candidate if he or she has already filed for the same office as a political party candidate.[12]

If nominated by convention, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State during the political party qualifying period. After a candidate is chosen at the convention, the candidate must pay the filing fee for the corresponding office to the Georgia Secretary of State. If the candidate cannot afford the filing fee, he or she must file a pauper's affidavit and accompanying qualifying petition. With the filing fee or pauper's affidavit, a certified copy of the minutes of the convention, attested to by the chairperson and secretary of the convention, must also be filed.[10][6]

If nominated by petition, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for these petitions are the same as those for independent candidates, which are listed below. In order for a candidate filing by petition to be recognized as a political organization candidate, the political organization must provide a sworn certificate stating that the named candidate is the nominee of that political organization.[10][15]

Independent candidates

A candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she has qualified for the same office with any political party or political organization. An independent candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for the petitions are as follows:[10][12][15]

  • For a candidate seeking statewide office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 1 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
  • For candidates seeking any other office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 1 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking. This requirement was imposed as the result of a federal district court order. See below for more information.

Petitions cannot be circulated for more than 180 days between the signing of the first signature and the last.[15]

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate can only run in the general election. A candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she ran for the same office as a political party candidate in the immediately preceding primary election. A write-in candidate must file a notice of intention of write-in candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State no earlier than January 1 in the year of the election and no later than the first Monday in September in the year of the election. After the notice of intention is filed, a notice must also be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the state. Once this notice has been published, the candidate must file with the Georgia Secretary of State a copy of the published notice, as well as an affidavit stating that the notice has been published. The affidavit can be filled out by the candidate or by the publisher or an employee of the newspaper.[5]

Petition requirements

See also: Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions
Election Policy Logo.png

See the articles listed below for more information about ballot access requirements for the 2018 election cycle.
State and federal candidate filing deadlines for 2018
Independent candidate petition requirements for:
Gubernatorial candidates
U.S. Senate candidates
U.S. House candidates

In some cases, political parties and/or candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain ballot access. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Georgia.

Format requirements

Different sheets must be used for signers in different counties. The upper portion of each petition sheet must contain the name and title of the Georgia Secretary of State, as well as the purpose of the petition, such as qualifying a political organization or nominating a candidate to be placed on the ballot. If the petition is being circulated to nominate a candidate, the candidate's name, occupation, place of residence, office being sought, political organization affiliation (if applicable), and the date of the election in which the candidate will be running should be included in the upper portion of each sheet. The lower portion of each sheet must be numbered consecutively, in the case that more than one sheet is used. Each sheet must also contain, either on the bottom or the back, an affidavit of the circulator of the sheet signed before a notary public. This affidavit must state the following:[16][17]

  • the residence address of the circulator
  • that each signer of the petition had full knowledge of the contents and purpose of the petition
  • that to the best of the circulator's knowledge, the signers were all registered voters of the necessary state, district, county, or municipality
  • that to the best of the circulator's knowledge, the signers were all eligible to sign the petition, and that their addresses are correctly stated on the petition
  • if circulating a nominating petition, that no more than 180 days passed between the signing of the first signature and the last signature

No notary public is allowed to sign a petition or act as the circulator of a petition that he or she notarized.[17]

Signature requirements

For nominating petitions for political organization candidates or independent candidates, signers must attest that they are registered voters of the state, district, county, or municipality corresponding to the office the candidate seeks and are thus eligible to vote for that candidate. The nominating petition must contain only one candidate, unless it is for a slate of candidates, such as president and vice president.[17][18]

With his or her signature, the signer must also provide a residence address, including the county, and the date on which the petition was signed. A signer is also urged to include his or her date of birth for verification purposes, though this is not required.[18][17]

Signatures must be stricken from the petition if a signer so requests, as long as it has been requested before the petition is submitted to the Georgia Secretary of State. Any request after that time will be disregarded.[18]

Noteworthy events

2021


BP-Initials-UPDATED.png This article contains a developing news story. Ballotpedia staff are checking for updates regularly. To inform us of new developments, email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.


On March 29, 2021, Judge Leigh Martin May, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, struck down a Georgia law requiring minor-party and unaffiliated candidates for non-statewide offices to submit petitions signed by at least 5 percent of the state's registered voters. May ruled that this requirement "overburdens [voters' and candidates'] rights to vote and to associate with their preferred political party, and so it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments."[19]

In her order, May contrasted the 5-percent signature requirement for non-statewide candidates with the 1-percent requirement for statewide candidates: "The [Georgia] General Assembly has deemed a 1% petition signature requirement adequate to guard against ballot crowding and frivolous candidacies on a statewide basis. It is not immediately clear why candidates for non-statewide office must clear a proportionally higher hurdle, the 5% petition signature requirement. [The state] has not offered any explanation for this disparity."[19]

In her March 29 order, May did not specify a remedy. She directed the plaintiffs (the Libertarian Party of Georgia) to submit a brief within three weeks on proposed remedies. On August 23, 2021, May issued an order suggesting that the signature requirement for non-statewide candidates be reduced to 1 percent. May directed the parties to respond to her proposal within 10 days. On September 3, 2021, May finalized the interim remedy she had proposed in August. On September 17, 2021, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) appealed May's order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Raffensperger asked that May suspend her order pending appeal. On October 18, 2021, May declined to do so. On November 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit also declined to stay May's order.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

Election-related agencies

See also: State election agencies

Georgia Secretary of State, Elections Division

2 MLK Jr. Dr. S.E.
Suite 802, Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Telephone: 404-656-2871
Fax: 404-651-9531
Website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections

Term limits

State executives

State Executive Officials
See also: State executives with term limits and States with gubernatorial term limits

The only state executive in Georgia subject to term limits is the governor. Gubernatorial term limits are established in Article V of the Georgia Constitution. A politician elected to that office may not serve more than two consecutive terms.[27]

State legislators

See also: State legislatures with term limits

There are no term limits placed on Georgia state legislators.

Congressional partisanship

Portal:Legislative Branch
See also: List of United States Representatives from Georgia and List of United States Senators from Georgia

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation from Georgia.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Georgia
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 6 8
Republican 0 8 8
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 14 16

State legislative partisanship

Portal:State legislatures

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the state legislature of Georgia.

Georgia State Senate

Party As of December 2021
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 34
     Vacancies 0
Total 56

Georgia House of Representatives

Party As of December 2021
     Democratic Party 77
     Republican Party 103
     Independent 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 180

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Georgia ballot access. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

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External links

Official state and federal links

Other information

Footnotes

  1. The Hill, "Georgia judge moves primary date up to May," August 27, 2013
  2. Georgia Secretary of State Website, "Qualifying Information," accessed February 4, 2014
  3. FEC 2014 Congressional Primary Election Dates and Candidate Filing Deadlines for Ballot Access, last updated January 31, 2014
  4. Georgia Secretary of State Website, "2014 Elections and Voter Registration Calendar," accessed February 3, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-133," accessed February 3, 2014
  6. 6.0 6.1 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-172," accessed February 4, 2014
  7. Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-110," accessed November 7, 2013
  8. Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission Website, "Campaign Disclosure Report Filing Schedule," accessed February 6, 2014
  9. Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, "Candidates & Public Officials 2014," Revised February 3, 2014
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-132," accessed February 5, 2014
  11. Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-151," accessed February 5, 2014
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-137," accessed February 5, 2014
  13. Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-153," accessed February 5, 2014
  14. Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-154," accessed February 5, 2014
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-170," accessed February 4, 2014
  16. Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-183," accessed February 5, 2014
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-170," accessed February 4, 2014
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-182," accessed February 5, 2014
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, "Cowen v. Raffensperger: Order," March 29, 2021
  20. Ballot Access News, "Georgia Libertarian Party Responds to U.S. District Court’s Request to Propose an Interim Ballot Access Rule for U.S. House," April 10, 2021
  21. Ballot Access News, "Georgia Secretary of State Asks for More Time to Decide on Interim Ballot Access Rule for U.S. House Independent and Minor Party Candidates," April 16, 2021
  22. Ballot Access News, "U.S. District Court in Georgia Suggests Interim Petition Requirements for Candidates for District Office," August 23, 2021
  23. Ballot Access News, "U.S. District Court in Georgia Finalizes Interim Rules for U.S. House Petitions for 2022," September 3, 2021
  24. Ballot Access News, "Georgia Files Notice of Appeal in Libertarian Ballot Access Case Concerning U.S. House Petitions," September 17, 2021
  25. United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, "Cowen v. Raffensperger: Order," October 18, 2021
  26. Ballot Access News, "Eleventh Circuit Denies Georgia Secretary of State’s Request for a Stay in Ballot Access Case," November 17, 2021
  27. Georgia Constitution, "Article V, Section 1, Paragraph 1," accessed November 7, 2013

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