Georgia Code
Article 6 - Registration of Voters
§ 21-2-212. County Registrars; Appointment; Certification; Term of Service; Vacancies; Compensation and Expenses of Chief Registrar, Registrars, and Other Officers and Employees; Budget Estimates

History. Code 1981, § 21-2-212 , enacted by Ga. L. 1994, p. 1443, § 3; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1027, § 4; Ga. L. 1996, p. 145, § 3; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 902, § 15; Ga. L. 2005, p. 253, § 22/HB 244; Ga. L. 2010, p. 914, § 7/HB 540; Ga. L. 2011, p. 683, § 5/SB 82; Ga. L. 2017, p. 697, § 5/HB 268; Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 14/SB 202.
The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, substituted “Reserved” for the former provisions of subsection (c), which read: “The governing authority of each municipality shall appoint registrars as necessary, and the appointments shall be entered on the minutes of such governing authority. The municipal governing authority shall designate one of the registrars as chief registrar. The chief registrar will serve as such during such registrar’s term of office, and such designation shall likewise be entered on the minutes of such governing authority. Such registrars shall serve at the pleasure of the municipal governing authority, and compensation of the registrars shall be fixed by such governing authority. Any registrar shall have the right to resign at any time by submitting a resignation to such governing authority. In the event of any such removal or resignation of a registrar, such registrar’s duties and authority as such shall terminate instantly. Successors to resigned registrars shall be appointed by the municipal governing authority. Each appointment or change in designation shall be entered on the minutes of such governing authority and certified by the governing authority. The municipal governing authority may furnish such employees and facilities as it deems necessary for the operation of the office and the affairs of the registrars”.
The 2021 amendment, effective March 25, 2021, added the last sentence of subsection (f).
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 1/SB 202, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Election Integrity Act of 2021.”’
Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 2/SB 202, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “The General Assembly finds and declares that:
“(1) Following the 2018 and 2020 elections, there was a significant lack of confidence in Georgia election systems, with many electors concerned about allegations of rampant voter suppression and many electors concerned about allegations of rampant voter fraud;
“(2) Many Georgia election processes were challenged in court, including the subjective signature-matching requirements, by Georgians on all sides of the political spectrum before and after the 2020 general election;
“(3) The stress of the 2020 elections, with a dramatic increase in absentee-by-mail ballots and pandemic restrictions, demonstrated where there were opportunities to update existing processes to reduce the burden on election officials and boost voter confidence;
“(4) The changes made in this legislation in 2021 are designed to address the lack of elector confidence in the election system on all sides of the political spectrum, to reduce the burden on election officials, and to streamline the process of conducting elections in Georgia by promoting uniformity in voting. Several examples will help explain how these goals are achieved;
“(5) The broad discretion allowed to local officials for advance voting dates and hours led to significant variations across the state in total number of hours of advance voting, depending on the county. More than 100 counties have never offered voting on Sunday and many counties offered only a single day of weekend voting. Requiring two Saturday voting days and two optional Sunday voting days will dramatically increase the total voting hours for voters across the State of Georgia, and all electors in Georgia will have access to multiple opportunities to vote in person on the weekend for the first time;
“(6) Some counties in 2020 received significant infusions of grant funding for election operations, while other counties received no such funds. Promoting uniformity in the distribution of funds to election operations will boost voter confidence and ensure that there is no political advantage conferred by preferring certain counties over others in the distribution of funds;
“(7) Elections in Georgia are administered by counties, but that can lead to problems for voters in counties with dysfunctional election systems. Counties with long-term problems of lines, problems with processing of absentee ballots, and other challenges in administration need accountability, but state officials are limited in what they are able to do to address those problems. Ensuring there is a mechanism to address local election problems will promote voter confidence and meet the goal of uniformity;
“(8) Elections are a public process and public participation is encouraged by all involved, but the enthusiasm of some outside groups in sending multiple absentee ballot applications in 2020, often with incorrectly filled-in voter information, led to significant confusion by electors. Clarifying the rules regarding absentee ballot applications will build elector confidence while not sacrificing the opportunities for electors to participate in the process;
“(9) The lengthy absentee ballot process also led to elector confusion, including electors who were told they had already voted when they arrived to vote in person. Creating a definite period of absentee voting will assist electors in understanding the election process while also ensuring that opportunities to vote are not diminished, especially when many absentee ballots issued in the last few days before the election were not successfully voted or were returned late;
“(10) Opportunities for delivering absentee ballots to a drop box were first created by the State Election Board as a pandemic response. The drop boxes created by rule no longer existed in Georgia law when the emergency rules that created them expired. The General Assembly considered a variety of options and constructed a system that allows the use of drop boxes, while also ensuring the security of the system and providing options in emergency situations;
“(11) The lengthy nine-week runoffs in 2020 were exhausting for candidates, donors, and electors. By adding ranked choice voting for military and overseas voters, the run-off period can be shortened to a more manageable period for all involved, easing the burden on election officials and on electors;
“(12) Counting absentee ballots in 2020 took an incredibly long time in some counties. Creating processes for early processing and scanning of absentee ballots will promote elector confidence by ensuring that results are reported quickly;
“(13) The sanctity of the precinct was also brought into sharp focus in 2020, with many groups approaching electors while they waited in line. Protecting electors from improper interference, political pressure, or intimidation while waiting in line to vote is of paramount importance to protecting the election system and ensuring elector confidence;
“(14) Ballot duplication for provisional ballots and other purposes places a heavy burden on election officials. The number of duplicated ballots has continued to rise dramatically from 2016 through 2020. Reducing the number of duplicated ballots will significantly reduce the burden on election officials and creating bipartisan panels to conduct duplication will promote elector confidence;
“(15) Electors voting out of precinct add to the burden on election officials and lines for other electors because of the length of time it takes to process a provisional ballot in a precinct. Electors should be directed to the correct precinct on election day to ensure that they are able to vote in all elections for which they are eligible;
“(16) In considering the changes in 2021, the General Assembly heard hours of testimony from electors, election officials, and attorneys involved in voting. The General Assembly made significant modifications through the legislative process as it weighed the various interests involved, including adding further weekend voting, changing parameters for out-of-precinct voting, and adding transparency for ballot images; and
“(17) While each of the changes in this legislation in 2021 stands alone and is severable under Code Section 1-1-3, the changes in total reflect the General Assembly’s considered judgment on the changes required to Georgia’s election system to make it ‘easy to vote and hard to cheat,’ applying the lessons learned from conducting an election in the 2020 pandemic.”
Law reviews.
For annual survey article on local government law, see 52 Mercer L. Rev. 341 (2000).
For article, “SB 202: Revisions to Georgia’s Election and Voting Procedures,” see 38 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 105 (2021).

Structure Georgia Code

Georgia Code

Title 21 - Elections

Chapter 2 - Elections and Primaries Generally

Article 6 - Registration of Voters

§ 21-2-210. Secretary of State Deemed the Chief State Election Official

§ 21-2-211. List of Registered Electors; Provision of Equipment to Access and Utilize List

§ 21-2-212. County Registrars; Appointment; Certification; Term of Service; Vacancies; Compensation and Expenses of Chief Registrar, Registrars, and Other Officers and Employees; Budget Estimates

§ 21-2-213. County Deputy Registrars; Clerical Help; Appointment of County Officer or Employee as Chief Deputy Registrar

§ 21-2-213.1. Monthly Contingent Expense Allowance for the Operation of the Office of the Board of Registrars

§ 21-2-214. Qualifications of Registrars and Deputy Registrars; Prohibited Political Activities; Oath of Office; Privilege From Arrest; Duties Conducted in Public

§ 21-2-215. Main Office of Board of Registrars; Location; Business Hours; Additional Registration Places; Educators to Serve as Deputy Registrars; Training; Registration Cards and Papers

§ 21-2-216. Qualifications of Electors Generally; Reregistration of Electors Purged From List; Eligibility of Nonresidents Who Vote in Presidential Elections; Retention of Qualification for Standing as Elector; Evidence of Citizenship; Check of Convi...

§ 21-2-217. Rules for Determining Residence

§ 21-2-218. Cancellation of Registration in Former State or County; Address Changes and Corrections

§ 21-2-219. Registration Cards; Form; Registration by Members of Armed Forces or Merchant Marine and Permanent Overseas Citizen; Secretary of State to Provide Information Regarding Registration and Absentee Ballot Procedures; Reports Regarding Absent...

§ 21-2-220. Application for Registration; Identification Requirement; Rejection for Failure to Provide Required Information or for Submission of False Information; Aid to Disabled or Illiterate

§ 21-2-220.1. Required Documentation for Voter Registration

§ 21-2-221. Driver’s License or Identification Card Application as Application for Voter Registration; Forms and Procedure; Electronic Transmission of Applications and Signatures

§ 21-2-221.1. Voter Registration Incorporated Into Resident Hunting, Fishing, or Trapping License; Design of Forms; Record Keeping; Opting Out by Businesses Selling Alcohol for On-Premises Consumption

§ 21-2-221.2. Voter Registration Application for Electronic Voter Registration

§ 21-2-222. Designated Voter Registration Agencies and Offices; Definitions; Duties of Agencies and Offices

§ 21-2-223. Mail Voter Registration Application Forms

§ 21-2-224. Registration Deadlines; Restrictions on Voting in Primaries; Official List of Electors; Voting Procedure When Portion of County Changed From One County to Another

§ 21-2-225. Confidentiality of Original Registration Applications; Limitations on Registration Data Available for Public Inspection; Data Made Available by Secretary of State; Membership in Nongovernmental Entity for Purpose of Sharing and Exchanging...

§ 21-2-225.1. Confidentiality of Address of Registered Electors; Term of Request; Procedure

§ 21-2-226. Duties of County Board in Determining Eligibility of Voters; Maps of Municipal Boundaries; Notice of Ineligibility; Issuance of Registration Cards; Reimbursement for Postage Cost

§ 21-2-227. Duty of Registrars to Furnish List of Electors for Elections Held in Governmental Subdivisions

§ 21-2-228. Examination of Electors’ Qualifications; Subpoenas; Notice and Hearing; Right of Appeal

§ 21-2-229. Challenge of Applicant for Registration by Other Electors; Notice and Hearing; Right of Appeal; Sanctions for Board’s Noncompliance

§ 21-2-230. Challenge of Persons on List of Electors by Other Electors; Procedure; Hearing; Right of Appeal

§ 21-2-231. Lists of Persons Convicted of Felonies, Noncitizens, Mentally Incompetent, and Deceased Persons Provided to Secretary of State and Council of Superior Court Clerks; Removal of Names From List of Electors; Obtain Information About Deceased...

§ 21-2-232. Removal of Elector’s Name From List of Electors

§ 21-2-233. Comparison of Change of Address Information Supplied by United States Postal Service With Electors List; Removal From List of Electors; Notice to Electors

§ 21-2-234. Electors Who Have Failed to Vote and With Whom There Has Been No Contact in Three Years; Confirmation Notice Requirements and Procedure; Time for Completion of List Maintenance Activities

§ 21-2-235. Inactive List of Electors

§ 21-2-236. Periods of Retention of Registration Cards, Applications, and Records of List Maintenance Activities; Rules and Regulations Regarding Safekeeping and Maintenance of Electronic Records