Laws governing recall in Georgia

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The Constitution of the State of Georgia authorizes the General Assembly to "provide by general law for the recall of public officials who hold elective office." This provision is found in Article II, Section II, Paragraph IV. Georgia law provides for the recall of all elected officials.

Registration of a recall committee

The relevant legislation requires at least one of the following grounds for calling a recall election:

• an act of malfeasance or misconduct while in office,
• violation of the oath of office,
• failure to perform duties prescribed by law, or
• willfully misusing, converting, or misappropriating, without authority, public property or public funds entrusted to or associated with the elective office to which the official has been elected or appointed.

Signature requirement

Can you recall a federal official?

The U.S. Constitution does not provide for recall of any elected federal official. Although some state constitutions have stated that their citizens have the right to recall members of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on whether this is constitutional at the federal level. Read Ballotpedia's explanation »

Signature requirements for the recall of elected officials in Georgia are governed by the Official Code of Georgia Annotated §21-4-4.

The number of valid signatures required for a recall election of a state officer whose electoral district encompasses the entire state is equal to at least 15 percent of the number of electors who were registered and qualified to vote in the preceding election for that office. At least one-fifteenth of the signatures must come from residents in each of the congressional districts in Georgia.

A recall election of local officers or state officers whose electoral districts encompass only a part of the state requires valid signatures equal to at least 30 percent of the number of electors who were registered and qualified to vote in the preceding election for that office.

Circulating the recall petition

Circulation of the recall petition must be completed within 90 days after registration.

Contact information

Georgia State Elections Division
1104 West Tower, 2 MLK, Jr. Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30334-1530
Phone: 404.656.2871

See also

• Laws governing recall
• States that have pre-petition signature requirements for recalls
• States that require grounds for recalls

External links

• National Conference of State Legislatures, Statewide Recall