HB 232 addresses unintended consequences from the ethics reform law which took effect January 10, 2011. First, local officials may now file Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports and Personal Financial Disclosure Reports with the state either electronically or via paper. It removes the requirement that local officials submit a current email address to the state. The Campaign Finance Commission (formerly the State Ethics Commission) must notify local officials via mail rather than electronically about "the filing of a complaint; a technical defect in a filing; a failure to make a timely filing; or a late fee or other penalty." HB 232 removes the requirement that every county staff person that speaks with a legislator must register as a lobbyist. Now, county staff must register as lobbyists only if they spend more than 10% of their time lobbying or spend more than $1,000 to influence a public officer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This bill requires that 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.

This bill limits the amount of money that can be transferred from one campaign fund to $10,000 per election cycle.  Money can be transferred only as long as the candidate is in office.  The money may be transferred to any national, state or local commitee of a political party, to any political action committee or to any candidate.

SB 298 addresses elections for consolidated governments.

This bill would rename the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission to the Georgia Ethics Commission.  It would also reconstitute the membership of the commission so that three members of the commission are appointed by the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and two appointed by the Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals. Currently, all five are appointed by the Governor.  It also bars anyone who has been a registered lobbyist within the previous five years from being appointed. makes procedural changes relative to complaints, and provides for funding.

SB 325 would allow individuals to register to vote on the Secretary of State's website by January 1, 2013.

SB 326 would allow individuals to register and vote on the day of a primary or election.