Secretary of State Kemp Announces Candidate Qualifying Process for State House District 82

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that he will call a special primary election to fill the Democratic nomination for State House District 82 upon the withdrawal of State Rep. Kevin Levitas.

Since no Republican candidate qualified for State House District 82, there will be no Republican primary for this seat. Accordingly, the special primary election will be held only for the Democratic nomination as provided for in the law. The special primary election for the Democratic nomination will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2010. A run-off election, if needed, will be held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, 2010.

Secretary Kemp set the candidate qualifying dates for State House District 82 as Monday, May 17 through Wednesday, May 19, 2010. Qualifying on Monday will run from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; on Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; and on Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 12 noon.

Qualifying will be held in the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State, 1104 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30334-1505. The qualifying fee is $400.00.

Voters can request an absentee ballot from their county registrar’s office through the close of business on Friday, July 16, 2010. Absentee ballots must be returned to the county registrar by close of business 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.

All citizens residing in State House District 82 who are not registered to vote must register before the close of business on Monday, June 21, 2010 to be eligible to vote in the special primary election. Voter registration forms can be obtained at any county registrar’s office or from the Secretary of State’s website.     

Registered voters can visit the Secretary of State’s MVP website to view a sample ballot specific to that voter for upcoming elections, find their Election Day polling location and early voting locations in their county, check their registration status, track the status of their absentee ballot, and more. The MVP website can be accessed at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/mvp.

Brian Kemp was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2010. 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.

###