DeKalb elections board removes Abu Sayed from Doraville ballot over 12-month residency requirement

The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections voted to remove Abu Sayed (appearing in the hearing as "Mr. Zahid") from the Doraville City Council District 1 ballot after concluding he had not satisfied the state’s 12‑month residency requirement within the municipality before the November municipal election.

Why it matters: Georgia law requires candidates for municipal office to have been residents of the municipality for 12 months prior to the date of the election. The board concluded that time spent at an address before that address was annexed into Doraville does not satisfy the 12‑month requirement inside the city for the purposes of candidacy.

What the record shows A challenger presented evidence and asked the board to verify whether the candidate’s addresses and registration history met the statutory residency requirement. County staff reviewed the candidate’s registration history, confirming the candidate’s current address is within Doraville city limits but that earlier addresses were in unincorporated DeKalb County and were annexed into Doraville effective Dec. 1, 2024.

The board’s legal review cited OCGA §45‑2‑1, which the chair read into the record: the residency requirement for municipal candidates is 12 months within the municipality. Because part of the candidate’s prior residency predated annexation and thus was not residency within Doraville for a full year prior to the election date, the board concluded he did not meet the statutory test and voted to strike his name.

Procedure and vote Board staff confirmed registration addresses and the effective date of annexation. The board voted to remove the candidate from the ballot; staff indicated ballot proofing is not yet final and the candidate’s name will be removed from the ballot files.

Candidate and challenger statements The challenger said he had located multiple business filings and inconsistencies in filings that raised residency questions. The candidate said he resides at 2939 Aspen Woods Entry and supplied documentation; staff confirmed the current address is within Doraville and provided a registration history showing prior addresses and registration dates.

Next steps Staff will remove the candidate from ballot proofing files and notify relevant parties. The candidate and challenger may pursue any judicial avenues available under state law.

Ending The board moved on to other business after the vote and thanked staff; board members encouraged continued civic engagement and said applicants may seek to requalify in future elections if they meet residency requirements.