Fulton County voters will choose a new county commission chair, fill the District 4 seat Mo Ivory left and settle a District 1 rematch on the Nov. 3 ballot. The county’s consolidated sample ballot is dated Sept. 28. Early voting runs Oct. 13 through Oct. 30. Voters can see the ballot assigned to them on the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page [1].
Chair. The ballot names Mo Ivory (D) and Eric J. Tatum (R). Ivory won the Democratic runoff on June 16 over incumbent chair Robb Pitts, 46,817 votes to 24,165. In the May 19 primaries, 161,234 votes were cast in the three-way Democratic race for chair, and Tatum won the Republican primary with 36,959 votes [2].
District 4. The seat is on the ballot for the unexpired term of Ivory, who resigned, according to the ballot’s heading. A runoff would be Dec. 1 if no one wins outright [3]. Four candidates are running, and the ballot prints a party only for Malhotra and Sampson.
Natalie Hall, an information technology director, held the District 4 seat in January 2024, a county release from that month shows. The county’s candidate list gives Karen Rene’s occupation as management.
Rohit Malhotra (D), a nonprofit director, founded the Center for Civic Innovation and was a fellow in the White House Office of Management and Budget in the Obama administration, his campaign site says. He wants to protect elections, strengthen Grady Hospital and mental health services and bring more transparency to the county’s $1.5 billion budget.
Aaron A. Sampson, Jr. (D), a nonprofit executive and former CEO of the Atlanta ToolBank, has led organizations that strengthen communities for nearly 30 years and has lived in District 4 for more than 25, according to his campaign site. He lists secure elections, support for Grady and fewer unnecessary jail stays among his priorities.
District 1. Commissioner Bridget Thorne (R) faces Maggie Goldman (D) in a rematch of 2022. Goldman’s campaign site says she came within 394 votes of winning then. The Secretary of State’s May 19 primary results show Goldman as the Democratic nominee and Thorne as the Republican [4].
Pitts, a Democrat, endorsed Thorne over Goldman, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Thorne told the station she did not ask for the endorsement and that “we have become good friends throughout this past four years.” Goldman told Fox 5 that Thorne “has made a further record for herself as an election denier.” Thorne replied, “I am not an election denier,” citing nine years as a precinct manager.
The county’s biography of Thorne lists fiscal responsibility, accountability measures and public safety among her priorities. Goldman’s site lists fair commercial property assessments, county services for unhoused residents and election administration.
Sales taxes and city questions. The ballot asks whether to impose an additional 0.75% sales and use tax outside the City of Atlanta for no more than five years for transportation improvements and congestion reduction. It also asks whether to reimpose the 1% education sales tax on July 1, 2027, to raise not more than $2,095,680,577, with caps of $1,306,195,350 for the Fulton County School District and $789,485,227 for the Atlanta Independent School System. Sandy Springs and Palmetto each have a local question.