Qualifying begins later this month for the upcoming county elections.

For the July 31 election, voters will be asked to select candidates for the following countywide posts — sheriff, clerk of Superior Court, tax commissioner, coroner, State Court judge, chief magistrate judge and probate judge. Voters also will get to select county commissioners in districts 1, 3 and 4, and school board members in districts 2 and 4.

Voters have until July 2 to register to vote in the July 31 election and a runoff, if needed, on Aug. 21.

Candidates can qualify to run beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 23. Qualifying will conclude at noon Friday, May 25. Candidates can qualify at the Office of Elections and Registration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 23; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 24; and from 8 a.m. to noon May 25.

Candidates for sheriff, clerk of Superior Court, tax commissioner, coroner and county commissioner have to qualify with the political party of their choice during that time. Elections Supervisor Terry Colling said representatives from both parties will be available in the elections office during qualifying.

Nonpartisan candidates, for the offices of Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education, State Court judge, chief magistrate judge and probate judge will qualify with Colling.

The qualifying fees, set at 3 percent of the base salary for each elected position, are as follows:

• $4,218.86 for State Court judge;

• $2,270.25 for sheriff;

• $1,894.94 for clerk of Superior Court, tax commissioner, probate judge and chief magistrate;

• $814.90 for coroner;

• $360 for county commissioner;

• $250.56 for school board member.

The partisan offices up for election are currently held by Sheriff Wendell Beam, Clerk of Superior Court Marcia Norris, Tax Commissioner Sylvia Hollums, Coroner Sonny Foster, District 1 County Commissioner Gwen Flowers-Taylor, District 3 County Commissioner Bob Gilreath and District 4 County Commissioner Eddie Freeman.

The nonpartisan offices up for election are currently held by State Court Judge Sid Esary, Chief Magistrate Judge Rita Cavanaugh, Probate Court Judge DeWitt Simonton, District 2 Board of Education member James Westbury and District 4 Board of Education member Barbara Jo Cook.

Simonton has announced he will not be running for re-election. Gilreath has previously said he may not run again.