Early voting starts today for municipal elections and the Public Service Commission.

Tuesday kicks off early voting for the Nov. 4 General Election, and there is a lot on the ballot.

All Georgians will be voting on critical races for two of the five seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates the state’s electricity prices and supply — including Georgia Power. For District 2, Republican incumbent Tim Echols faces Democratic challenger Alicia Johnson, while for District 3, Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson faces Democratic challenger Peter Hubbard.

Check out Atlanta Civic Circle’s PSC Election Guide to find out more about what’s at stake. 

City of Atlanta and Fulton County voters will be voting on whether to expand property tax breaks for seniors. Atlanta Civic Circle housing reporter Sean Keenan has the full report. 

Voters in municipalities around Georgia will also be choosing their next mayors, city council members, and school board representatives. In Atlanta, the mayor’s office, city council president, all 15 city council seats and four Board of Education seats are up for grabs. Check out our 2025 Election Hub to assess the candidates.

Other metro-Atlanta cities voting on mayor or city council seats include: East Point, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Lithonia, Marietta, Norcross, Powder Springs, Sandy Springs, South Fulton, and Stone Mountain.

In Gwinnett County, voters in state House District 106 will be choosing from three candidates to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Shelly Hutchinson (D-Snellville), who resigned earlier this year. The contenders are: Democrats Muhammad Akbar Ali, Marqus Cole, and Republican Jamie Parker.

Early voting runs through Oct. 24. Remember that you can vote at any early voting location in the county where you are registered to vote. Check the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page to verify your registration and find early voting locations.  

Where do your ballot contenders stand on key issues? Find out from our candidate questionnaires

To help Atlanta voters evaluate their options for city council president, plus city council and Board of Education seats, we asked the candidates about key issues, like trust in government, housing, and federal overreach.

See how they responded to Atlanta Civic Circle’s questionnaire at our Election Hub. 

Here’s a snippet from the city council president candidate questionnaire:

ACC: Across the country, trust in government is declining. How would you use the council president’s role to strengthen public faith in local democracy and ensure residents feel their voices matter?

Marci Overstreet:  I will make Council meetings and committee processes more open and understandable, create neighborhood listening sessions across all districts, and ensure residents see how their feedback directly shapes city policy. I will also strengthen collaboration between Council, the Mayor, and city agencies so oversight is effective, fair, and grounded in results. But trust is built through example as much as through policy. I will model leadership that values respect, consistency, and accountability—demonstrating that government can work efficiently and compassionately. 

Rohit Malhotra:  I will open the government for the people, ensuring meetings are transparent and information is easy to access. I want people to feel like they can track promises made and have realistic timelines toward completion. Restoring trust requires residents to know they are seen, heard, and that their input truly shapes decisions and outcomes. I think one of the clearest places to showcase delivery and prioritization is through the budgeting process. In my first year as City Council President, I want to focus on the City of Atlanta’s budget as a way to make sure we match our stated political priorities with a budget that reflects the same. 

Unpacking money and influence in Atlanta’s elections

The latest campaign finance disclosures for the Atlanta elections are out. The mayor’s race, plus several city council and school board races, have attracted big bucks, as candidates make their final push before Election Day on Nov. 4. Several open races – where no incumbent is running – have hit six figures in total fundraising, according to the latest three-month disclosure reports from the Municipal Clerk’s Office. 

Find out how much money your city council and school board candidates have raised – and whether it’s from small-dollar individual donations or real estate and business interests. 

Atlanta Civic Circle is also tracking candidate endorsements.

ICYMI: Contenders for Atlanta City Council president squared off at Press Club debate

The Atlanta Press Club last week held candidate debates for the two open Public Service Commission seats, as well as Atlanta mayor and city council president.

However, only Peter Hubbard, the Democratic challenger for District 3, showed up for the PSC debate. Mayor Andre Dickens’ three challengers also debated an empty podium at the Loudermilk-Young Debate Series hosted by WABE. 

So it was only the debate for Atlanta City Council president between District 11 Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet and Center for Civic Innovation founder Rohit Malhotra that gave voters real insight on their options.

Overstreet, who’s endorsed by Dickens, is running as the candidate who can work effectively with the mayor’s office, while Malhotra is running as a reformer. They clashed at several points during the debate, especially over public safety and the scuttled voter referendum on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed “Cop City” by critics. Here’s our report. 

You can view the debate replays on the Atlanta Press Club’s YouTube channel: 

Spotlight on Atlanta City Council District 3 race 

One of the few Atlanta City Council contests where an incumbent faces a serious challenger is in District 3, which covers much of west Atlanta, including Bankhead, Vine City, and Grove Park. 

Councilmember Byron Amos is fighting for a second term against challenger Perrin Bostic, who was District 3’s constituent services director under former Councilmember Antonio Brown. Amos has out-fundraised Bostic, attracting $102,000 in donations since July, versus just $58,000 for his rival –  but Bostic has gained support from residents who say Amos hasn’t engaged with them enough. 

A common refrain: City Hall isn’t returning phone calls. Bostic says he’ll “answer the call,” both literally and figuratively. Read our in-depth look at Amos and Bostic on the campaign trail here. 

Upcoming candidate forums

Have a question for the Propel ATL candidate forums? Reply to this email and let us know.

Hosting a candidate forum or meet and greet? Have campaign news? Send us the details for inclusion in Democracy Digest or our Thursday Atlanta Civic Circle newsletter. 

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.

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