Secretary Handel Announces the Close of Qualifying for State Senate District 1 and House District 159

ATLANTA—Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel announced the close of candidate qualifying for the Special Elections to fill state Senate District 1 and House District 159 on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at noon. The candidates below qualified and paid the qualifying fee of $400 for the Special Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a run-off election will be held Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

The elections are non-partisan Special Elections with no party primary.  However, each candidate’s party affiliation will be listed on the ballot.

The election for Senate District 1 will occur in Bryan County and portions of Chatham and Liberty Counties. The following candidates qualified for Senate District 1 and will be placed on the ballot in alphabetical order:

The election for House District 159 will occur in portions of Chatham and Effingham Counties. The following candidates qualified for House District 159 and will be placed on the ballot in alphabetical order:

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, except in the City of Atlanta where polls are open until 8:00 p.m.

Voters can request an absentee ballot from their county registrar’s office through the close of business on Friday, October 30, 2009. Absentee ballots must be returned to the county registrar by the close of polls on Election Day. Photo identification is not required when voting by mail. To download an absentee ballot request form, please visit: www.sos.ga.gov/elections.

Citizens must be registered to vote by Monday, October 5, 2009 to participate in the November 3, 2009 election. Voter registration forms can be obtained at any county registrar’s office or from the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/voter_registration/voter_reg_app.htm.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.