2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 46 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (§§ 46-1-1 — 46-11-1) › Chapter 2 - PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (§§ 46-2-1 — 46-2-95) › Article 1 - ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS (§§ 46-2-1 — 46-2-10) › Section 46-2-1 - Election of Commissioners; terms of office

(a)
The Georgia Public Service Commission shall consist of five members to be elected as provided in this Code section. Members elected to the commission shall be required to be residents of one of five Public Service Commission Districts as hereafter provided, but each member of the commission shall be elected state wide by the qualified voters of this state who are entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly. Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, the election shall be held under the same rules and regulations as apply to the election of Governor. The Commissioners shall give their entire time to the duties of their offices. Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, the Commissioners shall be elected at the general election next preceding the expiration of the terms of office of the respective incumbents, and their terms of office shall be six years and shall expire on December 31.
(b)
In order to be elected as a member of the commission from a Public Service Commission District, a person shall have resided in that district for at least 12 months prior to election thereto. A person elected as a member of the commission from a Public Service Commission District by the voters of Georgia shall continue to reside in that district during the person's term of office, or that office shall thereupon become vacant.
(c)
For the purpose of electing the members of the Public Service Commission, this state shall be divided into five Public Service Commission Districts described as follows:
District 001
Appling County
Atkinson County
Bacon County
Baker County
Baldwin County
Ben Hill County
Berrien County
Bibb County
Bleckley County
Brantley County
Brooks County
Bryan County
Calhoun County
Camden County
Charlton County
Chattahoochee County
Clay County
Clinch County
Coffee County
Colquitt County
Cook County
Crawford County
Crisp County
Decatur County
Dodge County
Dooly County
Dougherty County
Early County
Echols County
Evans County
Glynn County
Grady County
Harris County
Houston County
Irwin County
Jeff Davis County
Johnson County
Jones County
Lanier County
Laurens County
Lee County
Liberty County
Long County
Lowndes County
Macon County
Marion County
McIntosh County
Miller County
Mitchell County
Monroe County
Montgomery County
Muscogee County
Peach County
Pierce County
Pulaski County
Quitman County
Randolph County
Schley County
Seminole County
Stewart County
Sumter County
Talbot County
Tattnall County
Taylor County
Telfair County
Terrell County
Thomas County
Tift County
Toombs County
Treutlen County
Turner County
Twiggs County
Ware County
Wayne County
Webster County
Wheeler County
Wilcox County
Wilkinson County
Worth County
District 002
Banks County
Barrow County
Bulloch County
Burke County
Butts County
Candler County
Chatham County
Clarke County
Columbia County
Effingham County
Elbert County
Emanuel County
Glascock County
Greene County
Hancock County
Hart County
Henry County
Jackson County
Jasper County
Jefferson County
Jenkins County
Lincoln County
Madison County
McDuffie County
Morgan County
Newton County
Oconee County
Oglethorpe County
Putnam County
Richmond County
Rockdale County
Screven County
Spalding County
Taliaferro County
Walton County
Warren County
Washington County
Wilkes County
District 003
Clayton County
DeKalb County
Fulton County
District 004
Cherokee County
Dawson County
Fannin County
Forsyth County
Franklin County
Gilmer County
Gwinnett County
Habersham County
Hall County
Lumpkin County
Murray County
Pickens County
Rabun County
Stephens County
Towns County
Union County
White County
Whitfield County
District 005
Bartow County
Carroll County
Catoosa County
Chattooga County
Cobb County
Coweta County
Dade County
Douglas County
Fayette County
Floyd County
Gordon County
Haralson County
Heard County
Lamar County
Meriwether County
Paulding County
Pike County
Polk County
Troup County
Upson County
Walker County
(d)
(1)
Those members of the commission elected at the 2020 general election, and any person appointed to fill a vacancy in such office, and those members of the commission serving in seats that were scheduled to be filled in either the 2022 or 2024 general election, shall serve the terms provided for in Code Section 46-2-1.1 and until their successors are elected and qualified. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, successors to such members shall be elected as provided for in Code Section 46-2-1.1 and shall serve the terms to which they were elected and until their successors are elected and qualified.
(2)
Except as provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection, all future successors to members of the commission whose terms of office are to expire shall be elected at the state-wide general election immediately preceding the expiration of such terms, shall take office on the first day of January immediately following that election, and shall serve for terms of office of six years.
Amended by 2024 Ga. Laws 380,§ 1, eff. 4/18/2024.
Amended by 2022 Ga. Laws 565,§ 1, eff. 3/4/2022.
Amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 641,§ 1, eff. 5/1/2012.
Amended by 2002 Ga. Laws 445, §§1, 2 eff. 4/11/2002.
This section was amended by 2002 Ga. Laws 445, §§1, 2 eff. 4/11/2002; however, only the amendment by section 2 of that act is set out above. Section 1 of the act provides that subsection (c) of this section is amended "by striking the description of Public Service Commission Districts 1 through 5 immediately following the colon at the end of the introductory language thereof and inserting in its place the description of Public Service Commission Districts 1 through 5 attached to this Act and made a part hereof and further identified as: "Plan Name: pscpln3 Plan Type: PSC User: Angela Administrator: H142."" The plan to which the act refers was not available at the time of publication. The publisher will post the amendment as soon as possible.