At its January 14 meeting, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted on and adopted the qualifying fees for candidates for Cobb County elected offices.
All the positions listed are elected in countywide votes except the county commission and school board seats.
The qualifying period for the primary and the nonpartisan May 19 elections is March 2 to 6, 2020.
Qualifying fees are based on 3 percent of the yearly salary for the position, with the exception of the county surveyor post, which has no salary.
The 3 percent is set by state law. Counties are also required by state law to publish the qualifying fees before February 1 of the election year.
Following is a table showing the offices up for election in the county this year, the salary and the qualifying fee.
| OFFICE | SALARY | 3% QUALIFYING FEE |
| State Court Judge (Posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7) | $181,950.72 | $5,458.52 |
| State Court Judge, Division II (Posts 2 & 5) | $159,450.72 | $4,783.52 |
| Commission Chairman | $135,123.87 | $4,053.72 |
| Clerk of State Court | $119,354.43 | $3,580.63 |
| Sheriff | $114,030.36 | $3,420.91 |
| Clerk of Superior Court | $109,425.84 | $3,282.78 |
| Tax Commissioner | $109,425.84 | $3,282.78 |
| Judge of Probate Court | $109,425.84 | $3,282.78 |
| Chief Magistrate Judge | $109,425.84 | $3,282.78 |
| County Commissioner, District 4 | $46,531.14 | $1,395.93 |
| County Commissioner, District 2 | $44,095.93 | $1,322.88 |
| County School Board (Districts 1, 3, 5 & 7) | $19,000.00 | $570.00 |
| Surveyor | no salary | $15.00 |
The state law governing qualifying fees
O.C.G.A. 21-2-131 (a)(1)(A) states that qualification fees for each county office shall be fixed and published by the governing authority of the county no later than February 1 of the year in which a general primary, nonpartisan election, or general election is to be held. Except as otherwise provided in O.C.G.A. 21-2-131(a)(1)(B), such fee shall be 3 percent of the total gross salary of the office paid in the preceding calendar year including all supplements authorized by law if a salaried office
About the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration
The county website describes the mission of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration as follows:
The mission of the Elections Department is to register citizens of Cobb County to vote; to ensure that elections are free, impartial, fair, accurate, convenient and accessible to all voters; to encourage voter participation; to provide excellent customer service to voters, candidates, and the media; and to help the public understand and follow all laws, rules and regulations.
The Elections Department, with oversight from the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration, enforces strict adherence to all current Federal, State and Local laws as well as to State Election Board Rules concerning registering to vote and voting, and serves all citizens in election related matters.
The five members of the board are appointed to four-year terms, and meetings of the board are held monthly.
