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What are the candidate qualification, filing, and runoff rules for Georgia special congressional elections?
Executive summary
Georgia law requires the governor to call a special election to fill a U.S. House vacancy; the Secretary of State then publishes the writ and notifies county superintendents (Justia citing O.C.G.A.) and Georgia uses a single, all-candidate ballot with a top-two runoff if no one gets a majority (Justia; Wikipedia/coverage of the 14th district) [1] [2]. Timing and mechanics (who sets dates, qualifying, and runoff scheduling) are driven by the governor’s writ and state statute and have been applied in recent 2025 calls and reporting about likely March specials and qualifying windows [1] [3] [4].
1. How a vacancy becomes a special election: who calls it and who publishes it
When a U.S. House seat is vacant, the governor issues a writ of election to call the special election; after that the Georgia Secretary of State must transmit the writ to county election superintendents and publish the call of the election, per the Georgia statute summarized in the state code citation [1]. Local reporting about recent resignations—such as Marjorie Taylor Greene’s announced resignation—repeats that the governor sets the special-election date [3] [5].
2. Ballot format and the majority/ runoff rule
Georgia’s practice for congressional special elections places all candidates on a single ballot rather than holding party primaries first; if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff (this “all-candidates, top-two runoff” approach is noted in reporting about the 14th district special) [2]. Multiple sources describing the 14th district contest explicitly state that all candidates run together and a runoff is scheduled if no one passes 50% [2].
3. Qualifying: where and when candidates file
Public notices and Secretary of State calls for other recent Georgia special elections show qualifying is conducted at the state elections office and is scheduled in the writ or call; for example, a House District 23 special-election notice set qualifying at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Elections Division in Atlanta with a specific date and hours [4]. Local news reporting about the Greene vacancy likewise emphasizes that qualifying windows and the specific method (special vs. regular primary) will be set by the governor’s call [3] [5]. Available sources do not provide a single consolidated statutory calendar for congressional-candidate qualifying deadlines beyond examples in specific calls.
4. Runoff timing and interaction with regular election calendars
Georgia law and practice allow special primaries and runoffs when applicable; recent Secretary of State calls for other special contests (e.g., Public Service Commission) show a special primary date and a separate runoff date are explicitly scheduled in the call [6]. Reporting on the 14th district indicates a runoff will occur between the top two if no one gets a majority, but sources differ about exact calendar placement for a specific vacancy—the governor sets dates and those dates can interact with other scheduled elections [2] [3]. Ballotpedia and state notices show the state routinely publishes a special-primary and special-primary-runoff schedule when those are needed [6] [7].
5. Examples from recent 2025 special-election practice
The Secretary of State’s published calls for 2025 special elections provide model language and concrete dates: the PSC special election call listed a special primary (June 17, 2025) and a special-primary runoff (July 15, 2025), and required publication and voter-registration deadlines tied to those events [6]. A state-house special (HD 23) likewise published qualifying dates and absentee/registration deadlines in its call [4]. These examples demonstrate that qualifying windows, absentee voting start dates, and runoff dates are normally spelled out in each call [6] [4].
6. Practical context and political implications
Local reporters and party officials treating the Greene vacancy stress the governor’s scheduling discretion and the practical consequences: vacancies mean districts are unrepresented until the special is concluded, and calendar choices can push contests into months that overlap with other primaries or general-election cycles (reporting suggests a March special was likely for the 14th district after a Jan. 5 resignation) [3] [5]. The all-candidate ballot with a majority threshold makes runoffs likely in multi-candidate fields, which can advantage candidates with stronger turnout organizations or those who consolidate support in the runoff [2]. Sources do not offer a single definitive analysis of partisan impacts beyond these procedural observations.
7. Limits of available reporting and where to look next
The materials provided establish the basic statutory chain (governor call → Secretary of State publication) and the all-candidate/top-two-runoff rule for congressional specials in Georgia [1] [2]. Available sources do not give a single consolidated statutory timeline for candidate qualifying specific to congressional specials or any updated amendments to deadlines beyond the examples in published calls and local reporting; for those precise numeric deadlines in a particular vacancy you must consult the governor’s writ and the Secretary of State’s published call for that race [1] [4].