For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009

FFI Contact: Matt Carrothers
Director of Media Relations
404-656-4269
Professionals with licensing inquiries should contact
the Professional Licensing Boards at 478-207-2440

Actions Taken by the State Election Board at its August 12 Meeting

Atlanta—The Georgia State Election Board met on Wednesday, August 12, 2009.

The Board directed the Attorney General's Office to request an Office of State Administrative Hearing trial date while continuing negotiations with Fulton County.

The Board voted to post the following rule changes for public comment period.

RULE 183-1-6-.01 ACCEPTANCE OF VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to provide a process for accepting voter registration applications that does not have a date stamp affixed by the Secretary of State or postmark affixed by the United States Postal Services or when the postmark affixed by the United States Postal Service is illegible or bears no date.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is to establish that county boards of registrars must date stamp voter registration applications and, if delivered to the incorrect board of registrars, forward such voter registration applications to the correct board of registrars by the receiving county as soon as possible after receipt.

RULE 183-1-6-.02 RULES FOR VOTER REGISTRATION BY PRIVATE ENTITIES

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to ensure confidentiality for a voter registration applicant’s information while in possession of private registration entities. It is the intent and purpose of this rule to create uniformity with respect to the registration of voters in Georgia.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main features of the proposed rule are to inform private entities on required and prohibited activities while conducting voter registration activities. This rule also outlines the instruction and training that boards of registrars will provide for private entities along with guidelines for transmittal of completed voter registration applications and the confidentiality of such.

RULE 183-1-6-.03 RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION BY REGISTRARS AND DEPUTY REGISTRARS

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed change is to clarify that the rule applies to registrars and deputy registrars in their conduct of voter registration activities.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main features of the proposed changes are to modify the title from “Rules and Regulations for Voter Registration” to “Rules and Regulations for Voter Registration by Registrars and Deputy Registrars.” The revision also removes the provisions regarding sealing, copying and transit time for voter registration applications with respect to registrars and deputy registrars.

RULE 183-1-10-.01 QUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE; TIME PERIOD DURING WHICH BANK, CREDIT UNION OR OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MAY CERTIFY ERROR IN RETURNING CHECK.

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to confirm the time period the Secretary of State and local election official will be able to accept written certification that a returned check was returned in error by the financial institution in connection with qualifying for federal, state, county, or municipal offices.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is to identify the time period in which notification must be received by the Secretary of State or local election official after the deadline for qualifying.

RULE 183-1-12-.02 DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRONIC VOTING EQUIPMENT

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule revision is to clarify the requirements of assistance with voter registration applications, applications for absentee ballot, and ballots. This revision to the rule also is intended to establish the timeframe for testing of the electronic voting equipment in conjunction with early voting.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main features of the proposed rule are the definitions of the terms “assist”, “assisted”, “assisting”, “assistance”, along with the phrases “early voting period”, and “enclosed space”. This rule also presents additional instructions for election superintendents involving setup and testing of the electronic voting equipment.

RULE 183-1-14-.06 SPOILED ABSENTEE BALLOTS

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to describe how an elector may spoil an absentee ballot. The proposed rule also informs election officials how to process a spoiled absentee ballot.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main features of the proposed rule is the procedure an elector would take when dealing with a spoiled absentee ballot. This rule also outlines the process that will be taken by the registrar in receipt of a spoiled ballot, to include the directions that must appear immediately under the caption on the ballot to explain to voters how to obtain a new ballot and the requirements thereof.

RULE 183-1-14-.07 SPOILED BALLOT DEFINITION

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to define the term, “spoiled ballot,” as used in the State Election Board Rules and the Georgia Election Code.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is a non-inclusive list of examples of spoiled ballots. The proposed rule also clarifies that a spoiled ballot may not be reinstated.

RULE 183-1-14-.08 ADDITIONAL SITES AS ADDITIONAL REGISTRAR’S OFFICES OR PLACES OF REGISTRATION FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to define the term “government building generally accessible to the public.”
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is to define those buildings or structures that may be used as additional registrar offices or places of registration for the purpose of receiving absentee ballots.

RULE 183-1-14-.09 VOTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to define what a voted absentee ballot means.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is to clarify when an absentee ballot must be considered “an absentee ballot which has been voted” for purposes of determining when an elector may or may not have the opportunity to vote a new ballot.

RULE 183-1-14-.10 ACCEPTANCE OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS FROM MILITARY AND OVERSEAS CITIZENS

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of the proposed rule is to provide direction to the county registrar what to do when there is no postmark affixed on absentee ballots received from United States military and overseas citizens.
  • MAIN FEATURES: The main feature of the proposed rule is to provide for the acceptance and counting of absentee ballots received within three days following a primary, election, or runoff from United States military and overseas citizens where the ballot envelope does not bear a postmark.

The complete rules are posted on the State Election Board website at www.gaseb.org.

The Georgia State Election Board will hold its next meeting Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the Floyd Memorial Towers in Atlanta.