Running For Office

Running for Office

The Mayor and Council serve four-year staggered terms. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that at no time is the Council composed of a full panel of freshmen members. There are presently no term limits for these positions. In order to qualify for the position of Mayor or councilmember, you must meet the following requirements:

  1. Must be a one (1) year City of Duluth resident as of the first Tuesday in November of the year for which you are qualifying
  2. Must be a registered voter
  3. Must state which seat/person for which you are qualifying
  4. Must pay a qualifying fee of $180 (3% of Council pay) or, if running for the Mayoral seat, $288 (3% of Mayor’s pay)
All candidates running for office should make themselves familiar with the Georgia Ethics in Government Act and City of Duluth Code of Ethics Ordinance.
Prior to accepting any campaign funding, all interested persons must complete a "Declaration of Intent" form which should be filed with the local filing officer (currently the Elections Superintendent/Duluth City Clerk). 
Council meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month and work sessions on the 4th and 5th Mondays. Special called work sessions are also called on an as-needed basis. Elected officials take office at the first organizational meeting in the January following the election. Once elected, the Mayor and all members of Council must continue to reside in the City of Duluth during their periods of service and remain registered voters. Additionally, they may not hold any other city office or city employment during any portion of the term for which they are elected.

Compensation for elected officials is as follows: Mayor receives $500 per month plus $150 per meeting for each regularly scheduled meeting, not to exceed two meetings per month. City Council members receive $200 per month plus $150 per meeting for each regularly scheduled meeting, not to exceed two meetings per month. Attendance is expected at these meetings as well as during annual Strategic Planning Sessions, some required conferences and seminars and budget review sessions. Elected officials are also expected to participate in county or community involvement programs, leadership programs and encouraged to attend various city functions and events.

Interested candidates should familiarize themselves with City operations, including but not limited to review of the Duluth City Charter, City Codes/Ordinances, the Unified Development Code, the Constitution of the State of Georgia and guidelines set forth by the Georgia Government Transparency Campaign Finance Commission.
To review the requirements, click here to be directed to the Secretary of State Elections Division. 

Reporting

Please note that candidates for public office are required to file forms with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (GGTCFC) (formerly known as the State Ethics Commission). Click here for candidate forms and reporting responsibilities.  Public Officials currently in office are required to report for the duration of their term.

Campaigning

All candidates should be aware of the signage requirements in the Unified Development Code of the City of Duluth. Other provisions regarding campaign activities can be found in the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) Title 21, also published as the Georgia Election Code and Rules of the State Election Board.
Voter Registration Lists

The Gwinnett County Board of Registrations and has transitioned to  a new statewide voter registration system. Due to this conversion they are no longer maintaining a parallel voter records system. Candidates will need to order their voter lists from the Secretary of State. Click HERE to access instructions on how to obtain this information from the state offices. 

Questions? Email elections@duluthga.net