Four Democrats and an independent candidate have qualified for the Nov. 3 special election to fill the Georgia House District 58 seat that has been vacant since April.

Simone Bell, Asha F. Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Josh Lewis IV and Michael McPherson paid $400 to qualify for the seat vacated by Robbin Shipp, who was in the middle of her second term.

Shipp, a Fulton County assistant district attorney, resigned on April 21 because of a conflict with the Georgia Constitution’s Separation of Powers act between her job as an officer of the courts and her service in the General Assembly.

Bell, 40, is a community educator. Jackson, 34, is an Atlanta attorney. Johnson, who turns 30 on Sept. 21, is an East Atlanta businessman. Lewis, 33, a land surveyor, did not list a party affiliation on his qualifying affidavit but said yesterday that he is running as an independent. McPherson, 34, is a lobbyist and former campaign consultant and state Senate chief of staff.

Jackson and Johnson live in Atlanta in DeKalb and the other candidates live in the city of Atlanta. The district covers portions of DeKalb and Atlanta.

The Nov. 3 polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. except in the city of Atlanta, where polls are open until 8 p.m. A runoff election, if necessary, will be Dec. 1.

To vote in the Nov. 3 election, citizens must register by Oct. 5. Voter registration forms can be obtained at https://dklbweb.dekalbga.org/voter/. Voters are required to show photo identification when voting in person. For more information on photo ID requirements, call 1-877-725-9797 or visit www.GaPhotoID.com.

DeKalb voters can request an absentee ballot from the DeKalb Elections Office through Oct. 30. Absentee ballots must be returned to the county registrar by the close of polls on Election Day. Photo identification is not required when voting by mail. To download an absentee ballot request form, www.sos.ga.gov/elections.