Legislation	Secretary of Senate	Members	Committees	Meetings	Home	House

SB 44 - Absentee Ballots - deadline for issuance, mailing

Crotts, Mike D (17th)	Roberts, Sam P (30th)

Status Summary	SC:	SLGO	HC:		FR:	01/25/99	LA:	01/25/99	S - Read 1st time

First Reader Summary

A bill to amend Code Section 21-2-384 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to preparation and delivery of absentee ballots and supplies, the mailing of absentee ballots, oaths of absentee electors and persons assisting absentee electors, master lists of ballots sent, and challenges, so as to provide that no absentee ballot shall be issued or mailed by the registrars after 5:00 P.M. on the Friday immediately prior to a primary or election.

SB 44  99                                          LC 11 9631 
 
      SENATE BILL 44 
 
      By:  Senators Crotts of the 17th and Roberts of the 30th 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Code Section 21-2-384 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to preparation and delivery of 
  1- 3  absentee ballots and supplies, the mailing of absentee 
  1- 4  ballots, oaths of absentee electors and persons assisting 
  1- 5  absentee electors, master lists of ballots sent, and 
  1- 6  challenges, so as to provide that no absentee ballot shall 
  1- 7  be issued or mailed by the registrars after 5:00 P.M. on the 
  1- 8  Friday immediately prior to a primary or election; to repeal 
  1- 9  conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-10       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-11                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-12  Code Section 21-2-384 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-13  Annotated, relating to preparation and delivery of absentee 
  1-14  ballots and supplies, the mailing of absentee ballots, oaths 
  1-15  of absentee electors and persons assisting absentee 
  1-16  electors, master lists of ballots sent, and challenges, is 
  1-17  amended by striking subsection (a) of said Code section and 
  1-18  inserting in its place the following: 
 
  1-19    "(a) The superintendent shall, as soon as practicable 
  1-20    prior to each primary or election, but at least 45 days 
  1-21    prior to any primary or general election other than a 
  1-22    municipal primary or election, and at least 21 days prior 
  1-23    to any municipal primary or general election, prepare or 
  1-24    obtain and deliver an adequate supply of official absentee 
  1-25    ballots, envelopes, and other supplies as required by this 
  1-26    article, to the board of registrars for use in the primary 
  1-27    or election. The board of registrars shall, within two 
  1-28    days after the receipt of such supplies, mail or issue 
  1-29    official absentee ballots to all eligible applicants; and, 
  1-30    as additional applicants are determined to be eligible, 
  1-31    the board shall mail or issue official absentee ballots to 
  1-32    such additional applicants immediately upon determining 
  1-33    their eligibility; provided, however, that, except for 
  1-34    absentee ballots for electors who are confined in 
  1-35    hospitals, no absentee ballot shall be issued or mailed by 
  1-36    the registrars on the day after 5:00 P.M. on the Friday 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1    immediately prior to a primary or election.  The date a 
  2- 2    ballot is voted in the registrars' office or the date a 
  2- 3    ballot is mailed to an elector and the date it is returned 
  2- 4    shall be entered on the application record therefor.  The 
  2- 5    delivery of an absentee ballot to a person confined in a 
  2- 6    hospital may be made by the registrar on the day of a 
  2- 7    primary or election or during a five-day period 
  2- 8    immediately preceding the day of such primary or election. 
  2- 9    In the event an absentee ballot which has been mailed by 
  2-10    the board of registrars is not received by the applicant, 
  2-11    the applicant may notify the board of registrars and sign 
  2-12    an affidavit stating that the absentee ballot has not been 
  2-13    received.  The board of registrars shall then issue a 
  2-14    second absentee ballot to the applicant and cancel the 
  2-15    original ballot issued.  The affidavit shall be attached 
  2-16    to the original application.  A second application for an 
  2-17    absentee ballot shall not be required." 
 
  2-18                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2-19  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  2-20  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -2-