Encyclopedia article about the history of elected officers in Georgia. In colonial times the franchise, or right to vote, was quite limited; only white male property owners with significant land holdings were able to vote. Over time, both the number of elective offices and the franchise have been greatly expanded. Georgia is recognized as a pioneer among the states in implementing innovative electoral policies. For example, in 1943 Georgia became the first state in the nation to allow every citizen eighteen years of age and older the right to vote in local, state, and federal elections. The voters of Georgia elect fifteen individuals to statewide political offices: two U.S. senators; the governor; the lieutenant governor; the secretary of state; the attorney general; the state school superintendent; the commissioners of labor, agriculture, and insurance; and the five public service commissioners. The seven members of the Georgia Supreme Court and the twelve members of the State Court of Appeals are also elected statewide. Other offices are elected by districts (including Georgia's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives and members of both houses of the General Assembly).

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Cite as: "Election Structures and Reform," New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved [date]: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org.

Forms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.