Unofficial Results
| Sandy Springs Mayor | Percentage (%) | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Bauman | 19% | 4,327 |
| ^Dontaye Carter | 21% | 4,703 |
| ^Rusty Paul (I) | 43% | 9,620 |
| Jody Reichel | 16% | 3,613 |
| 100% Reporting | Updated at 12:45 a.m. |
| Atlanta Mayor | Percentage (%) | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| *Andre Dickens (I) | 85% | 87,351 |
| Helmut “Love” Domagalski | 6% | 6.279 |
| Kalema Jackson | 5% | 5,225 |
| Eddie Meredith | 4% | 3,928 |
| 100% Reporting | Updated at 1:41 a.m. |
| Atlanta City Council President | Percentage (%) | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Malhotra | 49% | 49,617 |
| *Marci Collier Overstreet | 51% | 52,389 |
| 100% Reporting | Updated at 11:15 p.m. |
| PSC – District 2 | Percentage (%) | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Echols (I) (R) | 38% | 567,346 |
*Alicia M. Johnson (D) | 62% | 925,054 |
| 100% Reporting | Updated 1:41 a.m. |
| PSC – District 3 | Percentage (%) | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Fitz Johnson (I) (R) | 38% | 567,346 |
*Peter Hubbard (D) | 62% | 925,054 |
| 100% Reporting | Updated 1:41 a.m. |
Projected winners noted by *, Runoffs noted by ^
Live Coverage from Rough Draft
10 a.m.
Light turnout, runoffs, and a Democratic upset in the Georgia Public Service Commission races were the stories of yesterday’s off-year election.
The most notable runoff election, which will be held Dec. 2, is between incumbent Rusty Paul and challenger Dontaye Carter for Sandy Springs mayor. There are also runoffs in the Atlanta City Council and Atlanta Board of Education races.
While official voting numbers for the state aren’t available yet, roughly 1.5 million of Georgia’s 8 million registered voters cast ballots. Those numbers can be derived from looking at the two Georgia PSC races, which each garnered more than 1.5 million votes.
Democrats Alicia M. Johnson and Peter Hubbard had decisive victories against two Republican incumbents for the District 2 and 3 seats, respectively, with their message of accountability and affordable energy.
In additional races, Jen Owens and John Funny, both running unopposed, retained their Brookhaven City Council seats, while Anne Lerner was chosen as the new mayor of Tucker.
Once again, thank you for following our coverage at the live blog. – Collin Kelley
1:34 a.m.
Marci Collier Overstreet appeared to have defeated Rohit Malhotra in the race to succeed Doug Shipman as Atlanta City Council President. Overstreet pulled ahead by almost 2,800 votes to claim 51 percent.
1:00 a.m.
Dontaye Carter will face Rusty Paul in the runoff for Sandy Springs Mayor. Carter pulled ahead of Andy Bauman with 100% of precincts reporting.
12.55 a.m.
Here are the current results for the Atlanta City Council races, where it looks like two runoffs are shaping up. As we close out our coverage the evening, there was still no decision on the contest between Marci Collier Overstreet and Rohit Malhotra for City Council President. Check back in the morning for updates. Thanks for following our coverage!
12:42 a.m.
Sandy Springs will have a runoff election for mayor on Dec. 2. Incumbent Rusty Paul will face either Dontaye Carter or Andy Bauman, with the challengers separated by 367 votes with 93% of precincts reporting.
12:23 a.m.
Incumbents in Sandy Springs Districts 2 and 3 council races held their seats, while it appears that District 4 will have a runoff in December.
District 1 is still too close to call. Here’s more about the races.
12:09 a.m.
Unofficial election results show that Anne Lerner will be Tucker’s second mayor. All three incumbents held their seats. Read more about the races here.
Nov. 5, 12:05 a.m.
Three of the four Atlanta Board of Education races appear to be headed to runoffs. Read that story here.
11:33 p.m.
Here’s coverage of the Democrats’ historic victory in the Georgia Public Service Commission race.
11:10 p.m.
Two Brookhaven City Council members, District 4’s John Funny and District 2’s Jennifer Owens, were running unopposed, therefore retaining their seats, despite a last-minute write-in effort for resident Ronnie Mayer in District 2.
10:55 p.m.
All precincts are now reporting on the Georgia Public Service Commission races, showing the decisive victories of the Democrats over the Republican incumbents.
The Atlanta City Council President seat is one to watch as Marci Collier Overstreet and Rohit Malhotra were in a dead heat just before 11 p.m.
Incumbent Rusty Paul appears to be headed to a runoff for Sandy Springs mayor, but who his opponent will be has yet to be decided – CK
10:15 p.m.
Cathy Cobbs has Dunwoody results coming in at this link. Unofficial results have the two incumbents in the race retaining their posts by a comfortable margin.
10 p.m.
Results from the Fulton County Election Office are trickling in, so we’re still waiting for significant totals from Atlanta and Sandy Springs races. Stay tuned. – CK
9:20 p.m.
Democrat Alicia M. Johnson released a victory statement for the Georgia Public Service Commission Dist. 2 seat, which reads in part: “Tonight’s victory belongs to every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who made a call, sent a donation, made a post, passed out a flyer, or sent a text, to every friend who shared our message, and every voter who believed that accountable leadership and affordable energy are worth fighting for.” – Collin Kelley
9 p.m.
The Georgia Democratic Party has released a statement declaring victory for Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard in the Georgia Public Service Commission races: “We are officially putting Georgia Republicans on notice. Today, we beat them by running an expansive organizing and paid media program throughout our entire state, and we will continue to out-organize and out-strategize them to take power back for the working people of Georgia.” – Collin Kelley
8:45 p.m.
WSB-TV has called the Atlanta mayoral race for incumbent Andre Dickens, who beat three challengers. – Collin Kelley
8 p.m.
Polls have closed in the City of Atlanta for voting in the municipal races. Votes cast during the extra hour will be treated as provisional ballots. The city filed suit against Fulton and DeKalb counties to extend the voting time until 8 p.m. State law allows municipalities with more than 300,000 residents to stay open an extra hour.
7:30 p.m.
We’ll be updating results throughout the evening in the tables pinned above. Be sure to watch for links to stories about more community races coming soon. – Collin Kelley
7 p.m.
Polls are now closed in Fulton and DeKalb, but City of Atlanta voters will have until 8 p.m. to cast their votes in municipal elections, but not the PSC races. – Collin Kelley
6:30 p.m.
Polls are closing in 30 minutes in Fulton and DeKalb, but City of Atlanta voters will have until 8 p.m. to cast their votes.
Once polls close and we start getting returns, we’ll be posting highlights here, but also working on stories breaking down results for each of the cities in our coverage area. Watch for links and more updates. – Collin Kelley
6:15 p.m.
As of 6 p.m., DeKalb County had kept consistent wait times between 5 and 10 minutes. Voters at Brockett Elementary precinct, which drew under 300 voters by the evening, had the Public Service Commission election on their minds. Kayla Wellman said she wasn’t previously aware of the commission until online chatter led her to do some research.
“It’s probably the majority of the reason that I’m here, and it’s mostly because of Georgia Power,” said Wellman, who has lived in Tucker since 2022. “I think it’s just because of the fact that Georgia Power is a monopoly and being able to get the prices down.”
Mary Lee, who grew up in the Tucker area, said she’s always been clued into local elections. Lee, her husband, Alex, and two small children were all headed to the polling site in hopes of voting in council members who would help with sustainability and more parks. The PSC is a tangential race for her. She and her family live in District 2, and she said Cara Schroeder appealed to her due to her environmental stance.
“I know the big issue going on is the special election (Public Service Commission),” Lee said. “People are focused on that race and the utility rates. I just learned about this recently, but I have no problem voting out Republican incumbents.” – Stephanie Toone
5:30 p.m.
As of 5:30 p.m., Fulton precincts have seen a bit more after-work turnout with a wait of 35 minutes at Flipper Temple AME Church on the Westside. However, most polling places were showing wait times of 10 minutes or less. In DeKalb, wait times were five to 10 minutes at a few locations, but 0 at the majority. The light turnout has been the story of the day.
Our friends at Georgia Recorder have another voter snapshot on the Georgia Public Service Commission races, this time in the City of Atlanta, with voters saying the election is a referendum on the immediate quality of life in their neighborhoods. Read the story here. – Collin Kelley
4 p.m.
Wait times at some Fulton County polls have ticked up to 10 minutes, while DeKalb precincts are reporting wait times of 10 minutes or less. The vast majority report 0 wait times after a day of light voter turnout. An after-work spike is expected before polls close at 7 p.m. (or 8 p.m. in the City of Atlanta’s case), so be sure to check the interactive wait time maps for Fulton here and DeKalb here.
Our media partner, Georgia Recorder, took a “voter snapshot in Cherokee County today concerning the Georgia Public Service Commission races. Democrats are largely pinning their hopes on the idea that voters will be frustrated with Republican leadership and increased utility bills to make their voices heard. Read the full story here. – Collin Kelley
3:10 p.m.
As expected, in Brookhaven, with two incumbents running unopposed – John Funny (District 4) and Jennifer Owens (District 2) – turnout has been light, with no wait times reported in precincts. Briarwood Park had no waiting, with just a few voters trickling in every 10 minutes.
Several people on social media urged voters to write in Ronnie Mayer’s name in the District 2 contest, with some posts claiming that he was left off the ballot despite paying qualifying fees and filing required paperwork.
However, the city’s spokesperson, Burke Brennan, when asked about the rumors, confirmed with the city clerk that Mayer had neither filed paperwork nor paid fees during the city’s qualifying period. – Cathy Cobbs
2:48 p.m.
At the City of Atlanta’s Candler Park precinct, a district known for solid turnout, an election worker said the flow had been steady since 7 a.m. There were 10 people in line and all booths were full, but there was no wait. – Logan C. Ritchie
1:45 p.m.
Several of Tucker’s precincts reported no wait times for most of the morning and early afternoon. There had been no reports of voting hindrances at polling sites in DeKalb County as of 1:30 p.m., beyond the report of the extended wait time at Decatur City Church, according to Erik Burton, communications consultant for the DeKalb County Board of Elections.
“Voting has been going well,” Burton told Rough Draft Atlanta. “Decatur may have experienced a surge in voters, as many polling locations do. I am not aware of any issues impacting voting in DeKalb.” – Stephanie Toone
1:20 p.m.
The longest wait time we’ve seen in both Fulton and DeKalb occurred during the lunch hour when there was a 50-minute wait at Decatur City Church on Clairmont Road. Wait times are now back to five minutes or less. We’ll be monitoring for an after-work spike across the counties later this afternoon. – Collin Kelley
12:30 p.m.
Voter turnout in the crowded and hotly contested Sandy Springs mayoral and council races was not reflected with voters in some precincts, with the reported wait less than five minutes. There were more campaign signs than people at Hammond Park. – Cathy Cobbs
Noon
During the 11 a.m. hour, voters in northwest Atlanta were trickling into their polling locations. There was no wait to vote at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Trinity Presbyterian, or Northside Library. – Katie Burkholder
11:30 a.m.
More than 175 people have voted at the Tucker Reid H. Cofer Library running up to noon. Lines were about 10 deep when Rough Draft stopped by.
Several people were turned away from the precinct after finding that their assigned polling location had been changed. “I don’t care enough about this election to go to the next place,” said one frustrated voter. – Cathy Cobbs
11:15 a.m.
DeKalb County voters can also check wait times at the polls with this interactive map. At just after 11 a.m., the longest wait time was 10 minutes at Decatur City Church on Clairmont Road. Most polling places had zero wait times. – Collin Kelley
10:30 a.m.
Fulton County has an interactive map showing wait times at polling places across the county. You can access the map here to check your precinct. As of 10:30 a.m., the longest wait time was five minutes. – Collin Kelley
9:30 a.m.
Poll workers at Peachtree Middle School report steady voting this morning, with 110 ballots already cast. In 2023, the precinct recorded 100 votes for the entire day. –Cathy Cobbs
9:05 a.m.
Just before 9 a.m., there was no line and no wait to vote at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer polling site on Peachtree Street in Midtown. Have your ID ready to show the poll worker, and you’ll be in and out in minutes. – Collin Kelley
8:15 a.m.
City of Atlanta residents will vote today on approving a homestead tax exemption benefiting senior citizens.
The proposal, known as Act 358, would exempt homeowners aged 65 and older from paying property taxes toward Atlanta Public Schools, offering financial relief amid rising living costs.
The exemption would allow qualifying seniors to claim $50,000 less in assessed value on their homesteads, saving them up to $1,000 annually in property taxes, according to city officials. – Collin Kelley
7 a.m.
Polls are opening across Georgia and will remain open until 7 p.m. City of Atlanta polling places will be open until 8 p.m. for voting in municipal races only, so you’ll still need to cast your ballot for the Georgia Public Service Commission races by 7 p.m.
Our media partner, Georgia Recorder, reports this morning that the results of the unusual off-year special election for two seats on the Georgia PSC are being closely watched as a key indicator of voter sentiment heading into the critical 2026 midterm election. Read the full story here. – Collin Kelley
Nov. 4, 6:30 a.m.
Good morning and welcome to Rough Draft Atlanta’s live blog of today’s municipal elections in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, and Tucker, as well as the Georgia Public Service Commission. Bookmark this post and check back often for updates throughout the day.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. However, the City of Atlanta said in a press release last night that it had received a court ruling to keep polls open for municipal voting until 8 p.m.
If you didn’t participate in early voting, find your polling place at the My Voter Page to cast a ballot today. You can also find more information for Fulton County here and DeKalb County here.
Going into today’s election, both Fulton and DeKalb counties saw strong turnout during early voting from Oct. 14 to 31. Nearly 12 percent of the more than 1.4 million registered voters cast their ballots early, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
There are likely to be several runoffs in the City of Atlanta, which has 57 candidates vying for mayor, city council, city council president, and the Atlanta Board of Education. The runoff election will be held Dec. 2.
The Georgia Public Service Commission has two seats up for grabs and has become a nationally watched race as Democrats hope to break the Republican hold on the board, which sets utility rates.