Governor Signs Bill Making Some DeKalb Elections Nonpartisan
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill making some DeKalb County elections nonpartisan, affecting district attorney, clerk of superior court, tax commissioner and solicitor general positions. Local leaders express concerns about the law's selective application and plan legal action to overturn it.
Governor signs bill making some DeKalb elections nonpartisan
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed House Bill 369, which makes a majority of local races in metro Atlanta nonpartisan, including some positions in DeKalb County. The new law does not affect the DeKalb County Commission or the CEO, but will shift the district attorney, clerk of the superior court, tax commissioner and solicitor general from partisan to nonpartisan elections.
Lawmakers passed HB 369 in March. It initially pertained to regulating food trucks, but it is now an elections overhaul that makes a majority of local races in Metro Atlanta nonpartisan.
The bill would change the elections in DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties beginning in 2028. It shifts elections for county commissioners, tax commissioners, district attorneys, superior court clerks, solicitors general, and others to nonpartisan races rather than Democratic or Republican primaries.
Throughout this process, local leaders, voting rights advocates, legal experts, and residents across metro Atlanta raised serious concerns about both the intent and the impact of this legislation. Those concerns remain.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said she is deeply disappointed that Kemp signed the bill into law.
If the goal is truly to strengthen election systems or improve voter confidence, those conversations should happen transparently and consistently across the entire state, not selectively in a small group of counties.
Cochran-Johnson added that voters deserve clear and accessible information before heading to the polls. She stated that party affiliation is one of the many tools voters use to evaluate a candidate.
I also remain concerned about the uneven application of this law and the precedent it sets for local governance in Georgia. Policies that fundamentally change how residents engage in the democratic process should be applied fairly, thoughtfully, and consistently.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston and Fulton County District Attorney Fanim Willis also offered a joint statement saying HB 369 is unconstitutional.
This is a blatant attempt by Republicans to give their candidates an edge in Democratic counties by hiding their party affiliation from voters. Worse, they make clear their bad faith and unconstitutional motives by applying this legislation to only five of the 159 counties in Georgia: Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett.
Those five counties have elected African American Democratic women to serve as their District Attorney. The district attorneys plan to take legal action to overturn the bill.
What This Means for DeKalb
The new law affects specific positions in DeKalb County. The DeKalb County Commission and CEO remain partisan positions. However, the district attorney, clerk of the superior court, tax commissioner and solicitor general will transition to nonpartisan elections.
This shift means these positions will no longer be decided through party primaries. Voters will see only candidate names on the ballot without party labels attached.
The change takes effect in 2028. Elections for these positions will transition to the nonpartisan system over time.
Community Reaction
Local leaders and voting rights advocates have expressed concern about the bill. Cochran-Johnson noted that the law applies only to five counties in Georgia rather than statewide.
Those five counties have elected African American Democratic women to serve as their District Attorney.
The district attorneys plan to challenge the constitutionality of the law in court. They argue that removing party labels from the ballot disadvantages voters who use party affiliation to make decisions about candidates.
The law initially pertained to regulating food trucks when it was introduced in March. However, it evolved into a broader elections overhaul that affects voting systems in metro Atlanta.
Statewide Implications
The bill affects only five of Georgia's 159 counties. Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties will implement the nonpartisan election system. This selective application has drawn criticism from legal experts and voting rights advocates.
The law was passed by Georgia lawmakers in March. Governor Kemp signed it into law today, May 15, 2026.