This bill allows local legislation to further restrict the number of optional dates for special elections and to further limit the dates that certain categories of questions may be posed to the voters. The dates of special elections were substantially narrowed a couple of years ago by general law. Since special elections are a local matter, county commissioners should retain as much flexibility as possible to effectively manage their local affairs.

HB 158 changes the election of judges back from the November general election to the summer primary election. The author explains this will potentially save counties money by avoiding costly run-offs solely for judicial offices and it reverts the elections back to the dates in place prior to 2005.  

HB 262 increases the fee from 3% to 4% of the base salary that individuals must pay to qualify to run for the office of probate judges, magistrate judges and state court judges. The additional 1% would be transferred to the Secretary of State's office to fund the Judicial Qualifying Commission.

HB 270 requires that elections for sheriff, district attorney and solicitor be by nonpartisan election. It also allows the General Assembly to enact local legislation to allow any other county elected office - including county commissioner - to be nonpartisan.

This bill changes the date of the 2012 General Primary to July 31, 2012, which will be the date of the regional transportation sales tax referenda.  The Secretary of State's office explains the date is being changed to accommodate the logistics of military and overseas voting.

This bill would require anyone who spends money on any type of advertisement advocating for the election or defeat of a candidate must clearly identify the person, candidate or campaign committee paying for the ad.  No ad may use the name or "any colorable imitation" of the name of a person or organization in such an ad without the authorization of the person or organization.  A violation of this law would be a misdemeanor.

HB 707 would add student photo identification cards from private Georgia colleges as an acceptable form of identification to vote. Photo IDs from public colleges are already accepted. This bill failed on the Senate floor.

HB 776 provides that nonpartisan elections for consolidated governments are considered county elections, not municipal elections. As such, elections will be conducted during the general primary in even numbered years without a nonpartisan primary. This bill was attached to SB 92 and passed. It is awaiting the Governor's signature.

Under current law, counties must obtain a written petition with the signatures of at least 35 percent of registered voters in order to hold a referendum to permit the manufacture, sale and distribution of distilled spirits in its jurisdiction.  This provides an additional option, allowing the county commission to merely adopt a resolution or ordinance in order to hold said referendum.     

SB 69 permits the General Assembly to pass local legislation to allow for county commissioners to be elected in non-partisan elections.

SB 70 allows the General Assembly to pass local legislation permitting tax commissioners to run as nonpartisan.

SB 71 would allow the General Assembly to pass local legislation permitting solicitors to seek election in a nonpartisan election.

SB 72 would allow the General Assembly to enact local legislation permitting district attorneys to seek election in a nonpartisan race.

SB 73 would allow the General Assembly to enact local legislation permitting court clerks to seek election in a nonpartisan election.

SB 74 would permit local legislation that would allow the sheriff to seek office in a nonpartisan election.

SB 75 allows the General Assembly to enact local legislation allowing county commissioners to seek office in a nonpartisan election.

Please click here for a brief summary of the changes made by SB 82.

SB 92 is the Secretary of State's comprehensive elections bill much of which was developed in cooperation with local elections officials. The bill makes numerous changes throughout the election code including changes to: nonpartisan elections; minimum number of members to county election or registration boards; pauper petitions; write-in candidates; candidates selecting their political affiliation; registrar and deputy registrar qualifications; absentee ballot counting; special election voter registration; registration lists and deceased electors; election records storage; electronic device usage in a polling place; ballots; issuance of the call for elections held in conjunction with presidential preference primary; General Assembly vacancies; provisional and challenged ballots; reopening of qualifying periods; and timing of nonpartisan consolidated government elections. SB 92 was a vehicle for several election bills including HB 725, HB 776 and HB 899. The bill has multiple effective dates and is awaiting the Governor's signature. Click here for more information.

This bill creates a program whereby full-time public, private, and home-schooled high school students may volunteer to work as poll officers. The volunteer work shall not count as an absence from school.