It’s Runoff Election Day

Hopefully, you filled your stomach for Thanksgiving — and now it’s time to fill out your ballot for municipal runoff elections. In Atlanta, city council seats for Districts 7 and 11 and three school board seats — including the citywide Seat 8 At-Large — will be decided, after no clear winner emerged on Nov. 4.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for city of Atlanta voters. Polls close at 7 p.m. for other runoff contests across Georgia. 

To see who is on your Atlanta ballot, consult our Build Your Ballot tool. For all other races and to check your polling place, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. 

ℹ️ We won’t be running an election liveblog today, but stay tuned for our reporting of the runoff results. Follow along on social media for more real-time updates.


Atlanta school board runoffs

Atlanta voters will choose either Kaycee Brock or Royce Mann for the Atlanta Board of Education Seat 8, At-Large.

Brock, 40, a longtime educator and consultant, has most recently worked for the Charter School Growth Fund and the KIPP Foundation, which supports a national network of public charter schools. She is backed by establishment figures such as Mayor Andre Dickens, District 10 Councilmember Andrea Boone, and civil rights icon and former mayor Andrew Young.

Mann, a 24-year-old public education advocate, is vying to be the youngest person elected to office in Atlanta. He’s built a coalition of support from progressive groups like the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America and veteran politicos like former Mayor Shirley Franklin. Mann has campaigned on doubling the number of counselors in Atlanta Public Schools (APS), and free MARTA access for all public school students. 

Two other school board seats will also be decided. In District 2, Marlissa Crawford is up against Tony Mitchell, and in District 6, Patreece Hutcherson faces Tolton Pace. 

For more insight into the school board runoffs, we asked candidates who didn’t make the runoffs what their top concerns are for APS. Here’s what they had to say: Also-ran Atlanta school board contenders flag key issues for runoff candidates


Atlanta City Council runoffs

Two open Atlanta City Council seats will also be decided. In Buckhead’s District 7, Thad Flowers is up against Thomas Worthy. In Southwest Atlanta’s District 11, Nate Jester faces Wayne Martin. 

We also asked the runners-up in those contests to weigh in on what matters for their districts.

Here’s our story: Knocked-out District 7 and 11 challengers make endorsements

And check out our runoff Endorsement Tracker for a full rundown of who is endorsing the city council and school board candidates. 

GIVING NEWSDAY

This Giving Newsday, we are grateful to everyone who reads, shares, and supports Atlanta Civic Circle. And today, your impact doubles: every gift is matched through NewsMatch up to $15,000 through Dec. 31. Your support powers independent, local solutions journalism that helps metro Atlantans make more informed decisions about the issues shaping everyday life — housing, work, community development and democracy.

Join ACC board members and dozens of readers who have already given this season to keep local accountability reporting strong.


Thanks to donors like you we’re able to show up consistently at public meetings and ask the hard questions, translate policy into plain English (so more people can advocate and influence legislation), and elevate community voices alongside data and accountability reporting. 

We don’t just inform—we move outcomes: advancing housing affordability policy, pushing candidates toward transparency, and helping thousands of voters navigate elections with confidence.


This year, your support helped us: 

  • Build the ACC Election Hub so voters could make informed decisions in the Public Service Commission and municipal elections in Atlanta and Marietta 
  • Connect federal decisions to real life in metro Atlanta, spotlighting how funding freezes, budget cuts, and other federal moves are reshaping local services, from food and health programs to housing stability
  • Publish The Extended Stay Trap, revealing barriers keeping Black women in Clayton County in poverty ––and the pathways leaders can act on 


If you believe Atlanta deserves a trusted no-agenda source of local news and information that’s free and accessible to all, please make a Giving Newsday gift, or become a sustaining member.

Starbucks strike continues, Plaza Theatre fundraiser

A national strike for unionized Starbucks baristas that began on Nov. 13 is still going strong. About 44 local baristas joined over 1,000 SBWU members across over 40 cities in the walkout. They’ve shut down two metro-Atlanta stores, one located at 10830 Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta and another at 1570 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell. 

Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) called the strike, now in its third week, to push Starbucks to finalize a union contract after years of stalled negotiations. The union has three core demands: Reduce understaffing by giving baristas more hours, increase base pay to $20 per hour with 5% annual raises, and resolve over 700 unfair labor practice charges, most alleging union-busting. 

While picket lines have expanded elsewhere, the union says there are no immediate plans to shut down more metro-Atlanta stores. SBWU is encouraging the public to boycott Starbucks for the duration of the strike and respect picket lines. 

District 2 Councilmember-elect Kelsea Bond and the Democratic Socialists of America’s Atlanta chapter are hosting a fundraiser for striking workers tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at The Plaza Theatre, located at 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. They’ll be screening a new documentary, Partners, about baristas’ 2021 push to form the first Starbucks workers union in Buffalo, New York, followed by a Q&A with striking Atlanta workers. 

The suggested donation is $15 to $20 per ticket, which will go to Atlanta SBWU members’ strike fund. For tickets and more information, click here. 

ICYMI: Community pushback stalls TAD vote to next year

After community pushback, the Atlanta City Council has delayed action until early 2026 on Mayor Andre Dickens’ proposal to extend eight of the city’s Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) through 2055. Community members, rallied by Councilmember-elect Kelsea Bond, raised concerns about the long-term financial impact on APS and public services, prompting the council to hold the measure until January, when newly elected members take office. 

The Mayor’s Office is proposing extending the lifetime of the city’s TADS by up to 25 years to raise an estimated $5 billion in property tax revenue, diverted from the city, APS, and Fulton County, for a “Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative.”

The pause means the debate over how Atlanta uses TADs to support development—and how those choices affect residents — will continue next year, with some new faces on the city council.

Read our story here: Facing public scrutiny, city council punts TAD-extension bill to 2026

Today’s Democracy Digest newsletter was written by Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon. It was edited by Meredith Hobbs. As always, thank you for reading. Have tips, corrections, or questions? Just reply to this email.