Voters in Chattooga County and neighboring counties in Northwest Georgia are expected to see an additional special election tied to the shakeup in the 14th Congressional District. Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a call to fill Georgia Senate District 53, the seat vacated by Colton Moore after he qualified to run for the open U.S. House seat.

Senate District 53 includes Chattooga, Walker, Dade, and Catoosa counties, plus a northwestern portion of Floyd County, including the Armuchee area. Unlike the congressional race, state Senate candidates must live within the district they seek to represent. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the current term through the end of the year, with a separate election later this year for a full two-year term.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has set the qualifying period for three days next week at his office in Atlanta. The dates are Monday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The qualifying fee is $400. The special election ballot will include all the candidates, regardless of political party, and whoever takes more than 50% of the vote wins the seat. A runoff, if necessary, will be held April 7. Voters must be registered by Feb. 9 to participate and early voting starts Feb. 16. That’s the same timeline for Northwest Georgia’s 14th District U.S. House special election, where 22 candidates are vying to fill the seat through the end of the year.

Election officials note that several Georgia General Assembly vacancies statewide are also being addressed through special elections this spring. Voters are encouraged to confirm their districts and view official election information through the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.