ATLANTA – For the first time since 2020, Georgia voters will elect members of the state Public Service Commission (PSC) this year.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a call Wednesday for special elections on Nov. 4 to fill two seats on the PSC. Primaries will take place on June 17, with any runoffs that become necessary set for July 15.
District 2 Commissioner Tim Echols and District 3 Commissioner Fitz Johnson are currently serving terms that were extended because of a 2022 lawsuit challenging the way members of the PSC are elected in Georgia.
Four Black Fulton County residents argued that electing members of the PSC statewide rather than by district dilutes Black voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act, making it more difficult for Black voters to elect a candidate of their choice.
A lower federal court agreed and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, but the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned that decision. The appellate court ruling was allowed to stand when the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take up the plaintiffs’ appeal.
The General Assembly passed a bill during last year’s legislative session scheduling the elections for PSC districts 2 and 3 this year. The election for District 5 will be held in 2026, and elections for PSC districts 1 and 4 will take place in 2028.
Under Raffensperger’s order, candidate qualifying will take place April 1-3 at the state Capitol.
PSC District 2 stretches from Rockdale and Henry counties in Atlanta’s southern and eastern suburbs southeast all the way through Chatham County. District 3 – the Atlanta district – includes Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties.