What to expect for the 2023 metro Atlanta elections

October 20th, 2023

A stack of stickers sits atop the ballot scanner during the mid-term election Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 at Lawrenceville Road United Methodist Church in Tucker, Ga. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

City elections, along with a range of referendums, are on the ballot in Georgia this November.

Early in-person voting began Monday, Oct. 16, and runs through Friday, Nov. 3.

Election Day is Nov. 7. If necessary, runoffs would be held Dec. 5.

A couple of important things. Not everyone will be voting in these elections, as your county or city may not have anything on the ballot. Also, your voting location for federal and statewide races may be different from your city’s.

In DeKalb County, there are a pair of referendums dealing with taxes. One continues property tax relief for six years for homeowners with a homestead exemption. DeKalb County projects the Equalized Homestead Option Sales Tax (EHOST) will save homeowners about a billion dollars.

Also on the ballot is a one percent special purpose local option sales and use tax (SPLOST). This will NOT lead to a new sales tax in DeKalb County but is slightly different than the existing one it would replace.

This one will spread out sales tax revenues to more projects, including parks and libraries. DeKalb County projects it will generate about $850 million over six years.

It would be split with $496 million going to the county for unincorporated parts of DeKalb, while cities in DeKalb would get about $354 million.

Voters have to pass both the EHOST and SPLOST for both to take effect.

Staying in DeKalb County, there are also mayor’s races in Brookhaven and Stonecrest.

With Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst being term-limited, the city is looking for a new mayor.

You can watch a forum hosted by the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce and Rough Draft Atlanta that was co-moderated by WABE’s Emily Wu Pearson.

Some of the issues in that race include the failed annexation of the Toco Hills area and questions around a new City Hall.

In DeKalb, there is also a list of city council races, along with bond and homestead exemption referendums.

In Atlanta, there are elections involving five of the nine members of the Board of Education. All five races have incumbents with a total of 10 candidates running.

Here is the full sample ballot for DeKalb and Fulton. A reminder that there is a portion of the City of Atlanta that is in DeKalb as well as Fulton County.