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Doraville candidate removed from ballot after board finds residency requirement unmet
Summary
The board struck a Doraville City Council candidate from the ballot after finding he had not met the 12-month residency requirement within the municipality prior to the election, noting annexation timing prevented retroactive satisfaction of the rule.
The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections removed a candidate for Doraville City Council District 1 Post 3 from the November ballot after concluding the individual had not met the mandated 12-month residency in the municipality prior to the election date.
Challenger Warren Simmons told the board he had found business registrations listing the candidate as a registered agent at multiple addresses and raised concerns about prior instances in other municipalities. The candidate, Abu Sayed (referred to in the hearing as Zahid), told the panel he lives at an Aspen Woods address and said he has paperwork to support more than 10 years of residence in DeKalb County.
Staff reviewed the candidate’s registration history and explained that an address on North DeKalb Drive was in unincorporated DeKalb County for much of 2023 and 2024 and was annexed into Doraville effective December 1, 2024. Board counsel read OCGA §45-2-1 on municipal residency and concluded the residency requirement is 12 months within the municipality prior to the election; annexation does not retroactively satisfy the rule. The board voted to strike the candidate’s name from the ballot for Doraville City Council District 1 Post 3.
