A runoff election will be held between the top two candidates in any race where no candidate received 50% + 1 votes. Accordingly, the following offices will be on the runoff election ballot:
To vote in the runoff election, you must be registered to vote by October 4, 2021
Early voting begins November 17, 2021 and ends November 24, 2021
Last day to request an absentee ballot is November 19, 2021
What Do These Offices Do?
Although local government isn't always covered in the media to the same extent that state or federal government is, in many ways, city government affects important day-to-day decisions and processes. The 2021 Atlanta election will have a few offices on the ballot, and learning the responsibilities and duties of each office is useful for understanding their importance. Below is each office briefly explained.
Mayor
Candidates will be running to replace current mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as mayor of Atlanta. General responsibilities of this office include:
Serving as chief administrator and official representative for the City of Atlanta
Responsible for the general management of the city and ensuring that all laws are enforced
Appointing department heads and people serving on advisory boards, with City Council approval
Advising City Council on financial condition and preparing an annual budget for approval
Current mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms // Photo courtesy of the AJC
City Council
City Council is made up of 16 total members and is led by the Council President. In general, City Council acts as the policy-making body of the city where their main role is to make laws. Responsibilities of City Council include:
Overseeing many agencies, boards, and commissions
Introducing a bill, which can either on the floor by a Council member or through a committee
Reviewing the annual budget proposed by the mayor
Additionally, legislation can take two forms:
Ordinances, which are meant to be a permanent rule of government or
Resolutions which only express intent for various projects or establish a general legislative policy
The Atlanta Board of Education is charge of the Atlanta Public School system. The Board consists of nine members representing 6 districts and three at-large districts. The responsibilities of the Board of Education include:
Creating and approving the policies that run Atlanta public schools
Appointing the superintendent, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school system
Atlanta Public Schools office // Photo courtesy of the AJC
Who Is Running in the Mayoral Runoff?
The two candidates running for mayoral office in the runoff election are Andre Dickens and Felicia Moore. For more information on these candidates, please visit Atlanta Mayoral Candidates.
How Do I Vote Absentee?
Absentee ballots for the 2021 Atlanta Runoff Election must be requested by November 19, 2021. For more information regarding absentee voting, please visit our absentee voting page.
If you are registered to vote in Fulton County, early voting begins on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 and runs every weekday through Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Additionally, there will be one Saturday voting day on November 20, 2021 and one Sunday voting day on November 21, 2021. Polls will be open for early voting from 9AM to 6PM. For more information on early voting in Fulton County, visit Fulton County's website.
If you are registered to vote in DeKalb County, early voting begins on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 and runs every weekday through Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Polls are open these days from 8AM to 6PM. There will also be one Saturday voting day on November 20, 2021with polls open from 9AM to 6PM and one Sunday voting day with polls open from 12PM to 5PM. For more information on early voting in DeKalb County, visit DeKalb County's website.
\