Georgia Require Nonpartisan Elections for Probate Judges Amendment (2026)
| Georgia Georgia Require Nonpartisan Elections for Probate Judges Amendment (2026) | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State judicial selection |
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| Status Proposed |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The Georgia Require Nonpartisan Elections for Probate Judges Amendment (2026) may be on the ballot in Georgia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.
The amendment would require that probate judges be elected on a nonpartisan basis.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title is as follows:[1]
| “ | Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to require that all probate court judges be elected in nonpartisan elections?[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the measure can be read here.
Path to the ballot
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Georgia State Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 120 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Georgia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
House Resolution 251 (2026)
The following is a timeline of the amendment:[3]
- February 12, 2025: The amendment's sponsors introduced the measure to the state House.
- January 28, 2026: The House Judiciary Committee reported on the measure with a favorable recommendation.
- February 11, 2026: The state House passed the measure in a vote of 147-20. Additionally, seven members did not vote an six members were excused from the vote.
- March 19, 2026: A motion to pass the amendment in the state Senate failed in a vote of 31-18. Thirty-one Republicans voted yes, and 18 Democrats voted no. One Republican and four Democrats did not vote.
- March 20, 206: The state Senate approved a motion to reconsider the amendment in a vote of 32-5. Thirty-two Republicans and four Democrats voted yes, and five Democrats voted no. Four Republicans and 13 Democrats did not vote.
External links
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Georgia.
Explore Georgia's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Georgia General Assembly, "House Resolution 251 Text," accessed February 12, 2026
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia General Assembly, "House Resolution 251 Status History," accessed February 12, 2026
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