In the upcoming June 17 primary election for the Georgia Public Service Commission, Democrat Daniel Blackman will not have his votes counted due to a ruling made by a judge on Tuesday. The judge determined that Blackman did not fulfill the one-year residency requirement in Fulton County prior to the general election scheduled for November.
Previously, Blackman had been temporarily kept on the ballot by an order issued by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville after being disqualified by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. However, following a hearing, Judge Glanville confirmed that Raffensperger’s decision was indeed correct.
While Blackman has the option to appeal the decision, failing to succeed will result in his votes not being counted for the District 3 Democratic primary aimed at challenging Republican Fitz Johnson in later elections. Competing for the Democratic nomination alongside Blackman are Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones, and Keisha Waites.
In these elections, all voters across Georgia participate in choosing members of the Public Service Commission, although each commissioner must reside in a specific district. District 3 encompasses Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties.
Blackman claimed a move from Forsyth County to an apartment in southwest Atlanta in October 2024, while his family remained in the northern Atlanta suburb. Nevertheless, Judge Glanville noted that Blackman failed to establish sufficient residency proof, particularly due to his delayed transfer of voter registration to Fulton County until April 2025.
Judge Glanville expressed the view during an online session that the secretary’s decision was appropriately aligned with Georgia’s legal requirements: “The court is of the opinion that the secretary’s decision did, in fact, properly apply Georgia law.” He added that Blackman’s petition failed to timely update his voter registration.
A written order from Glanville is anticipated shortly. Once entered, Blackman retains the option to appeal. However, his legal representative has yet to comment on the hearing outcome.
Raffensperger’s spokesperson, Robert Sinners, stated that once the written order is finalized, polling stations will display signs notifying voters of Blackman’s disqualification.
Even though voter turnout is expected to be minimal, the potential discard of thousands of votes remains. As of the latest update, more than 25,000 votes had already been cast in the Democratic primary, with early voting concluding shortly.
Blackman previously ran unsuccessfully for the commission in 2020 and currently holds the position of southern region administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden.
On the Republican side, the primary on June 17 pits Lee Muns of Harlem against incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols of Hoschton, who has served since 2011. The victor will go up against Democrat Alicia Johnson in the upcoming November election. The commission currently consists entirely of Republicans.