ATLANTA — Atlanta residents are set to cast their votes on Tuesday, Nov. 2, amongst a slew of candidates for city council, board of education, and, of course, the highly anticipated mayoral race. As the November 2021 election day soon approaches, you'll need to know where, when, how to vote, and more.
Here's everything you need to know about voting in the city.
Who can vote
Registered voters over the age of 18 within the city who registered by Oct. 4 will be able to vote for mayor, city council president, city council members, board of education members, and whether to retain municipal court judges.
Click here to check your voter registration status.
What to bring to vote
Before showing up to the polls, you must have a valid and acceptable form of identification with you to vote in the State of Georgia. Here's a list of forms of identification that are permitted:
- Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID Card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
- A Georgia Driver's License, even if expired
- Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state
- Valid U.S. passport ID
- Valid U.S. military photo ID
- Valid tribal photo ID
You can pick up a Georgia Voter ID card from your county's Board of Registrar's Office or Department of Driver Services Office for free if you're a registered voter, but do not have one of these six forms of identification.
When to vote
Early voting kicked off Tuesday, Oct. 12 in Fulton County and ran until Oct. 29. After that, the only other time to vote is on election day on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polling locations will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Where to vote
Find your polling site or check your polling location to make sure it has not changed by using the Georgia My Voter Page online.
You can also access a sample ballot Fulton County and DeKalb County by using this tool.
Is there a runoff election?
If no candidate receives at least 50% plus 1 vote in the race for any seat, a runoff election will be held on Tuesday, November 30.
Polls would be open on that day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at your designated location.
If available, click on the candidate's name below to be directed to their official website.
Who is running for mayor?
There are 14 candidates running for Atlanta mayor.
- Antonio Brown
- Brown, a 36-year-old millennial who would be the city's second-youngest ever mayor, has largely aligned himself with activist causes that gained ascendance during 2020's racial justice protests. Brown has served on the City Council, representing much of the heart of the city in Midtown and Downtown since his election in 2019. He boasts a campaign platform that touches on topics like affordable housing, the availability of fresh foods in underserved neighborhoods, and Atlanta's stark inequalities.
- Andre Dickens
- Dickens is a member of the City Council who, as an at-large councilman, has won two citywide races since 2013. Dickens has run a campaign built on the foundation of his community advocacy. He helped Atlanta establish a $15 minimum wage in 2017, and his campaign website touts his record as a leader on transportation and development issues.
- Kirsten Dunn
- An Atlanta real estate investor, Kristen Dunn is a lesser-known candidate. Her campaign site describes her as a candidate who wants to "unify the community" through policies rooted in small business development and generating initiatives for resident homeownership.
- Nolan English
- Sharon Gay
- Gay, an Inman Park resident, is a private attorney with a long history in Atlanta city politics, though she has never held public office. She's long been a behind-the-scenes power player in Atlanta's development. Her profile on her employer's website indicates she had a role in financing significant city developments in the last decade-plus: Ponce City Market, Glenwood Place, and Krog Street Market among others.
- Mark Hammad
- Hammad said he is running for mayor because "it saddens me to see the current state of the city." He said he is not a political insider and has never worked in politics before. If elected, he promises to be only accountable to the citizens of Atlanta.
- Kenny Hill
- Hill retired from Home Depot after 30 years. He and his wife founded The Launchpad Foundation to provide housing, life skills and career training to the homeless, according to his website. He is going off the acronym PEACE for better public safety, educational outcomes, affordable housing, city leadership and economic opportunity.
- Rebecca L. King
- The Buckhead businesswoman is the CEO of Cover Your Assets, Inc. She unsuccessfully ran for a City Council seat four years ago and currently serves on Buckhead's Neighborhood Planning Unit. Much of her philanthropic and community work appears to be centered around Buckhead's livability and viability issues.
- Felicia Moore
- Moore is perhaps the most experienced candidate in the race, with two decades on the Atlanta City Council representing much of the Westside and northwest corner of Atlanta in District 9. Since 2018, she has been City Council president. She presents herself as a champion of transparency and clean government.
- Kasim Reed
- Reed is the most familiar face in the race, running Atlanta for two terms as mayor from 2010-18. Among the hallmarks of his time in office, the former mayor oversaw the rapid growth of the city and staked much of his reputation as being tough on crime.
- Walter Reeves
- Reeves is new to Atlanta and new to politics. He previously told 11Alive he aims to combat crime in Atlanta and intends to "ban criminally insane elements from the city." He said his record is that of a labor activist who has advocated on behalf of chicken plant workers, mostly in the Gainesville area, where he had lived before moving to Atlanta a few years ago.
- Roosevelt Searles III
- Searles is an Atlanta native. According to his campaign website, his platform touches on social issues like policing in the city, food accessibility, and city code enforcement for buildings with various resident complaints.
- Richard N. Wright
- Wright is an Atlanta transplant who moved to the city in 1997. His campaign website states he wants to work toward remedying systemic issues in the city, like urban economic development and affordable living. His biography states he wishes to use his experience in the corporate world as a Certified Public Accountant to work toward measurable goals for the city.
- Glenn S. Wrightson
11Alive held a debate between six candidates who polled the highest in our recent poll — Kasim Reed, Felicia Moore, Antonio Brown, Andre Dickens, Sharon Gay, and Rebecca King. Each candidate participating qualified by receiving 5% support in the 11Alive SurveyUSA Poll conducted in October. You can hear directly from the candidates and watch a full live replay of that debate on the 11Alive YouTube channel.
Who is running for City Council President?
Who is running for Atlanta City Council?
Atlanta City Council Post 1 At Large
- Michael Julian Bond
- Alfred "Shivy" Brooks
- Brandon Cory Goldberg
- Todd Gray
- Jereme Sharpe
Atlanta City Council Post 2 At Large
- Sonya Russell-Ofchus
- Matt Westmoreland
Atlanta City Council Post 3 At Large
- Jacki Labat
- Ralph Long
- Jodi Merriday
- Keisha Sean Waites
- Sherry Williams
Atlanta City Council District 3
- Byron Amos
- Erika Estrada
- Brandon Graham
- Keona Jones
- Elijah Porter
- Ken Wainwright
Atlanta City Council District 5
Atlanta City Council District 6
Who is running for Atlanta Board of Education?
Atlanta Board of Education District 1
Atlanta Board of Education District 2
Atlanta Board of Education District 4
Atlanta Board of Education District 5
Atlanta Board of Education District 6
- Eshé Collins
- Patreece Hutcherson
Atlanta Board of Education District 7 At Large
- Patricia Crayton
- Tamara Jones
- Royce Carter Mann
- Stephen Spring
- Kanesha "KaCey" Venning
Atlanta Board of Education District 8 At Large
- Cynthia Briscoe-Brown
- Keedar Whittle
Atlanta Board of Education District 9 At Large
- Jason Allen
- Jason Esteves
- D'Jaris James
Where to get election results
11Alive will have election results starting when polls close on Nov. 2.