This bill aligns the state and local elections calendar with the court ordered federal calendar. This changed the qualifying period to March 3-7, 2014, the primary on May 20, 2014, and the general election on November 4, 2014.

This bill also reduces the time period required to call a special election to be held in conjunction with a statewide primary or general election from 90 days to 60 days for 2014.

This legislation allows the General Assembly to impose a requirement in local legislation that candidates for county commissioner live within the district in which they want to run for a minimum period of time (up to one year).

This legislation requires candidates for county office to file a declaration of intent to accept campaign contributions with the county elections superintendent instead of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. The election superintendent is required to transmit the documents electronically by eFiling or eFaxing a copy of the report to the Georgia Campaign Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission no later than 10 days after the close of the reporting period. This legislation also changes the exemption for filing campaign finance disclosure reports from those who intend to accept less than $2,500 each calendar year to those who intend to accept less than $2,500 each election cycle.