Qualifying
Qualified Candidate List - Aug. 18, 2025 (PDF)
Qualified Candidate List - Aug. 19, 2025 (PDF)
Qualified Candidate List - Aug. 20, 2025 (PDF)
2025 General Election Qualified Candidates - 3rd Week of August 2025
Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 3
Qualifying dates for the Nov. 4, 2025, Municipal Elections for COUNCIL MEMBER - Ward 1; COUNCIL MEMBER- Ward 2; and COUNCIL MEMBER - Ward 3 have been set by Council Action for AUGUST 18, 19, and 20, 2025.
Qualifying dates will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch) at the Ford Center Reception Hall (4181 Atlanta St., Powder Springs, GA 30127).
Qualifying fees for the mayor are $630 and council member elections are $450
While a person running for office needs to formally qualify in August, that person is allowed to legally begin to campaign, issue press announcements and fundraise after filing a Declaration of Intent with the City Clerk. Filing the DOI is an important first step: It formally indicates an intention to run for office and allows the individual to start accepting campaign contributions.
While formal qualifying for the ballot occurs later, filing the DOI enables the person to engage in activities like holding events, distributing literature, and issuing press releases to gather support for his or her candidacy.
Important considerations
- One cannot accept campaign contributions (including loans) before filing the DOI.
- One must still formally qualify for office in August.
- One must comply with all campaign finance disclosure requirements set by the State Ethics Commission. These include filing campaign contribution disclosure reports (CCDRs) according to a specific schedule.
- State law prohibits certain false statements about candidates, incumbency, and endorsements.
Sec. 7-5.1. - Nomination of candidates.
(a)
Except as otherwise provided by state law, all candidates for municipal office shall file their notice of candidacy and pay the prescribed qualifying fee by the date prescribed in order to be eligible to have their names placed on the election ballot by the election superintendent in the following manner:
Each candidate for municipal office or a designee shall file a notice of candidacy in the office of the election superintendent during the city's qualifying period. The city council shall designate the days of the qualifying period, which shall be no less than three (3) days and no more than five (5) days. The days of the qualifying period shall be consecutive days. Qualifying periods shall commence no earlier than 8:30 a.m. on the last Monday in August immediately preceding the general election and shall end no later than 4:30 p.m. on the following Friday; and, in the case of a special election, the municipal qualifying period shall commence no earlier than the date of the call and shall end no later than twenty-five (25) days prior to the election.
(b)
The hours of qualifying each day shall be from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with one hour allowed for the lunch break; provided, however, that should the city have normal business hours. Except in the case of a special election, notice of the opening and closing dates and the hours for candidates to qualify shall be published at least two (2) weeks prior to the opening of the qualifying period.
(c)
No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or councilmember unless he or she shall have been a resident of the city for a period of twelve (12) months immediately prior to the date qualifying; and the mayor or councilmember shall continue to reside therein during his or her period of service and to be registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of this city.
(Code 1972, § 3-306; Ord. No. 2007-06, 5-21-07)
Qualifying dates for the Nov. 4, 2025, Municipal Elections for COUNCIL MEMBER - Ward 1; COUNCIL MEMBER- Ward 2; and COUNCIL MEMBER - Ward 3 have been set by Council Action for AUGUST 18, 19, and 20, 2025.
Qualifying dates will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch) at the Ford Center Reception Hall (4181 Atlanta St., Powder Springs, GA 30127).
Qualifying fees for the mayor are $630 and council member elections are $450
While a person running for office needs to formally qualify in August, that person is allowed to legally begin to campaign, issue press announcements and fundraise after filing a Declaration of Intent with the City Clerk. Filing the DOI is an important first step: It formally indicates an intention to run for office and allows the individual to start accepting campaign contributions.
While formal qualifying for the ballot occurs later, filing the DOI enables the person to engage in activities like holding events, distributing literature, and issuing press releases to gather support for his or her candidacy.
Important considerations
- One cannot accept campaign contributions (including loans) before filing the DOI.
- One must still formally qualify for office in August.
- One must comply with all campaign finance disclosure requirements set by the State Ethics Commission. These include filing campaign contribution disclosure reports (CCDRs) according to a specific schedule.
- State law prohibits certain false statements about candidates, incumbency, and endorsements.
(a)
Except as otherwise provided by state law, all candidates for municipal office shall file their notice of candidacy and pay the prescribed qualifying fee by the date prescribed in order to be eligible to have their names placed on the election ballot by the election superintendent in the following manner:
Each candidate for municipal office or a designee shall file a notice of candidacy in the office of the election superintendent during the city's qualifying period. The city council shall designate the days of the qualifying period, which shall be no less than three (3) days and no more than five (5) days. The days of the qualifying period shall be consecutive days. Qualifying periods shall commence no earlier than 8:30 a.m. on the last Monday in August immediately preceding the general election and shall end no later than 4:30 p.m. on the following Friday; and, in the case of a special election, the municipal qualifying period shall commence no earlier than the date of the call and shall end no later than twenty-five (25) days prior to the election.
(b)
The hours of qualifying each day shall be from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with one hour allowed for the lunch break; provided, however, that should the city have normal business hours. Except in the case of a special election, notice of the opening and closing dates and the hours for candidates to qualify shall be published at least two (2) weeks prior to the opening of the qualifying period.
(c)
No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or councilmember unless he or she shall have been a resident of the city for a period of twelve (12) months immediately prior to the date qualifying; and the mayor or councilmember shall continue to reside therein during his or her period of service and to be registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of this city.
(Code 1972, § 3-306; Ord. No. 2007-06, 5-21-07)