Candidates will be qualifying at the end of the month for a host of federal, state and local seats to be decided in the Nov. 6 general election.

The July 31 election will decide the parties’ nominees. It also will fill the nonpartisan judge seats and two Floyd County Commission posts.

Chad Whitefield and Eddie Lumsden resigned their County Commission seats in March to pursue other opportunities. A special election will determine who will serve their unexpired terms through Dec. 31, 2013.

County Attorney Tommy Manning said voters in the July 31 contest will get ballots with candidates from both parties, and the one with the most votes wins the special election.

“They’ll have to get more than 50 percent to win, though, so there could be a runoff,” he noted.

Qualifying runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 23 and 24, and from 8 a.m. to noon on May 25. Candidates in partisan races sign up with their parties.

“We qualify folks here for local offices within Floyd County,” said Wendy Davis, a vice chair for the Floyd County Democratic Party. “The state legislators qualify down at the Capitol.”

Local Democrats will go to the party headquarters at 5 Broad St., and local Republicans will qualify with the Floyd County Republican Party at 337 Broad St.

The Georgia Republican and Democratic parties will set up qualifying offices at the state Capitol, 206 Washington St., in Atlanta.