Secretary of State Kemp Sets Qualifying Dates for the Special Elections in State Senate District 26 and State House District 139

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced receipt of Governor Nathan Deal’s Writs of Election setting Tuesday, July 19, 2011 as the date for the special elections to fill the vacancies in State Senate District 26 and State House District 139.

Secretary Kemp set candidate qualifying for Wednesday, June 15, 2011 through Friday, June 17, 2011. Qualifying on Wednesday will run from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; on Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Candidates will qualify in the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State, 802 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. The qualifying fee for each office is $400.

The election for Senate District 26 will occur in Twiggs County and portions of Bibb, Houston and Wilkinson Counties. The election for State House District 139 will occur in a portion of Bibb County.

The elections are non-partisan special elections with no party primaries. However, each candidate’s party affiliation, if any, will be listed on the ballots. Run-off elections, if needed, will be held Tuesday, August 16, 2011.

Voters can request an absentee ballot from their county registrar’s office through the close of business on Friday, July 15, 2011. Absentee ballots must be returned to the county registrar’s office by the close of polls on Election Day. To download an absentee ballot request form, please visit: www.sos.ga.gov/elections.

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2011.

Citizens must be registered to vote by Monday, June 20, 2011 to participate in the July 19, 2011 special election. Voter registration forms can be obtained at any county registrar’s office or from the Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.ga.gov/elections.

Brian Kemp has been Secretary of State since 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.

###