What Gwinnett County voters need to know about the upcoming special election

DULUTH, Ga. - A special election will be held to fill the Georgia Senate District 7 seat left vacant by the resignation of Nabilah Parkes.

What we know:

The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office set the special election date for May 19, which is the same date as the General Primary Election in Georgia. 

Because this is a special election, the normal primary cycle to define a party’s preference is skipped, causing a "free-for-all" vote to fill the vacancy.

Depending on the number of qualifying candidates, it  could statically force a runoff, which would be scheduled for June 16.

If no one hits that 50% mark, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff.

Dig deeper:

The Georgia Senate District 7 seat spans from Peachtree Corners to Lawrenceville and includes Duluth.

Parkes resigned on March 16 to focus on running for lieutenant governor.

What we don't know:

Qualification for candidates will be held at the Georgia Secretary of State’s Elections Division on March 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and March 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Candidates seeking to be qualified are required to pay a $400 fee.

What's next:

The last day voters can register for this special election, or the General Primary Election is April 20.

Advance in-person absentee voting will begin on April 27.

What you can do:

To check to see if you are in the district, to check your voter registration status, and more, visit https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/