The Rev. James T. Walden will be a write-in candidate for the Covington mayor seat.

Walden is the senior pastor at Calvary Community Church in Conyers and previously ran in 2010 for the District 5 Board of Education seat. He later pulled out of that race to support Sharon Sawyer, who eventually lost to Abigail Morgan-Coggin.

Write-in candidates, by nature, will not appear on the ballot, but also do not have to pay any qualifying fees.

In order to be a write-in candidate, a person must have published his or her intention to run as a write-in candidate in The Covington News - the county's legal organ - by Friday's paper. That person is then able to be certified as a write-in candidate by the Newton County Board of Election.

Write-in votes for any other candidates will not be counted.

Walden's intention to run was published in The Sept. 9 article titled "Today is last day to file as write-in candidate."

A woman wished to be a write-in candidate for Newborn mayor but missed the deadline. Elections Director Donna Morrison said any perspective candidates - traditional or write-in - should ask questions about the process as early as possible.