Municipal qualifying begins Aug. 31

Published August 19, 2015 | By Roy Reynolds

Qualifying to run for a local city council seat will begin on Monday, Aug. 31, at 8:30 a.m. and will run through 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4.

The cities of Attapulgus, Bainbridge and Climax, and the Town of Brinson are scheduled to hold municipal elections on Nov. 3. Persons seeking to run for office need to qualify in order to be on the ballot.

Qualifying will begin on Monday, Aug. 31, at the Decatur County Board of Elections and Voter Registration’s office located at 122 W. Water St., which is in the Courthouse Annex across the street from the Firehouse Gallery. It will end on Friday, Sept. 4, at 4:30 p.m.

Among some of the qualifications for running for office in those municipalities are you must be a registered voter and you must be a resident of the city or within the district which you intend to run in.

Candidates must also pay the qualifying fee outlined by each municipality, or a candidate may file a pauper’s affidavit in lieu of paying the qualifying fee. No cash can be accepted for the qualifying fee; please only check or money order.

The following are the seats and qualifying fees for each municipality in Decatur County:

Attapulgus – The Mayor and all Council seats are up for election. The qualifying fee for Mayor is $35 and for a Council seat is $18.

Bainbridge – There are three Aldermen seats up for election this year; Seat 4, District A, and Seat 5 and Seat 6, both in District B. The qualifying fee an Alderman seat is $90.

Brinson – The Mayor and Council seats Post 1 and Post 3 are up for election this year. The qualifying fee for Mayor is $72 and $43.20 for Council seats.

Climax – Two Council seats are up for election this year. The qualifying fee is $20.

For more information, please call the Board of Elections and Voter Registration at (229) 243-2087.

The following are just some of the forms candidates may have to fill out in order to qualify:

Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit. This form must be filled out correctly, notarized and kept with the Chief Elections Official. It must be presented during the timeframe of qualifying.
Personal Financial Disclosure Statement. This form must be filled out correctly within 15 days of qualifying, and then given to the City Clerk of the city the candidate is qualifying in.
Affidavit of a Candidate’s Intent Not to Exceed $2,500 in Contributions and/or Expenditures. This is one of several Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission reports that are necessary during an election cycle. If you intent to spend or raise more than $2,500, this form will not be the correct one. Please check with the City Clerk or staff at the Decatur County Board of Elections and Voter Registration on the various forms required for campaign contributions.