State Elections Board

It shall be the duty of the State Election Board:

(1) To promulgate rules and regulations so as to obtain uniformity in the practices and proceedings of superintendents, registrars, deputy registrars, poll officers, and other officials, as well as the legality and purity in all primaries and elections;

(2) To formulate, adopt, and promulgate such rules and regulations, consistent with law, as will be conducive to the fair, legal, and orderly conduct of primaries and elections; and, upon the adoption of each rule and regulation, the board shall promptly file certified copies thereof with the Secretary of State and each superintendent;

(3) To publish and furnish to primary and election officials, from time to time, a sufficient number of indexed copies of all primary and election laws and pertinent rules and regulations then in force;

(4) To publish and distribute such explanatory pamphlets regarding the interpretation and application of primary and election laws as in the opinion of the board should be distributed to the electorate;

(5) To investigate, or authorize the Secretary of State to investigate, when necessary or advisable the administration of primary and election laws and frauds and irregularities in primaries and elections and to report violations of the primary and election laws either to the Attorney General or the appropriate district attorney who shall be responsible for further investigation and prosecution. Nothing in this paragraph shall be so construed as to require any complaining party to request an investigation by the board before such party might proceed to seek any other remedy available to that party under this chapter or any other provision of law;

(6) To make such recommendations to the General Assembly as it may deem advisable relative to the conduct and administration of primaries and elections;

(7) To promulgate rules and regulations to define uniform and nondiscriminatory standards concerning what constitutes a vote and what will be counted as a vote for each category of voting system used in this state;

(8) To employ such assistants as may be necessary;

(9) Subject to funds being specifically appropriated by the General Assembly, to formulate and conduct a voter education program concerning voting procedures for voting by absentee ballot and at the polls with particular emphasis on the proper types of identification required for voting; and

(10) To take such other action, consistent with law, as the board may determine to be conducive to the fair, legal, and orderly conduct of primaries and elections.

HISTORY: Ga. L. 1958, p. 269, § 45; Ga. L. 1959, p. 57, § 1; Code 1933, § 34-202, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 862, § 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 118, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1670, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 230, § 2; Ga. L. 2003, p. 517, § 2; Ga. L. 2006, p. 3, § 1/SB 84; Ga. L. 2008, p. 781, § 2/HB 1112.

Mr. William S. Duffey, Jr., Chair 

Mr. Matthew Mashburn, Member 

Mrs. Sara Tindall Ghazal, Member

Mr. Edward Lindsey, Member 

Dr. Janice W. Johnston, Member 

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Ex Officio
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: (404) 656-2881
E-mail

File a complaint with the Georgia Election Board

Proposed and draft rules can be accessed on the Proposed Elections Division Rules and Rule Amendments page.

Chapter 183 of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia

**ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY**  (1)
The Administrative History for Chapter 183

GEORGIA ELECTION CODE  (42)^new
Chapter 183-1

GEORGIA MUNICIPAL ELECTION CODE   (21)
Chapter 183-2

The State Elections Board Code of Conduct is intended to serve as a guide for the conduct of State Election Board Members (“Member(s))”. The Code of Conduct presents specific ethical principles to guide Members in their responsibilities and actions while serving on the State Election Board (“SEB”). The Code of Conduct shall not supplant the Georgia Constitution, the Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest requirements in Chapter 10 of Title 45 in the Georgia Code, or any provision of Title 21 in the Georgia Code related to the SEB.

1.  Members shall be honest, fair, and avoid any appearance of conflict and/or impropriety.

2.  A Member is expected not to participate in any matter or proceeding before the SEB, including participation in debate and discussion of a matter, under the following circumstances:

a.  Member serves on the campaign committee for a respondent, complainant, or witness;

b.  Member has made a public endorsement of the candidacy of a respondent, complainant, or witness;

c.  Member has made a financial contribution, an in-kind contribution, and/or provided personal services to a candidate who has qualified for a primary or election under the Georgia Election Code, previous candidate, or officeholder who is a respondent, complainant, or witness;

d.  Member’s employer or any entity in which the Member holds an equity and/or economic interest has made a financial contribution, made an in-kind contribution, or provided any personal or professional services to a respondent, complainant, or witness;

e.  Any matter in which a Member has made a financial contribution, in-kind contribution or contribution of personal or professional services to any organization covered under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3 (defined as candidates, campaign committees, connected organizations, independent committee, or political action committee) and such organization or employee thereof is a respondent, complainant, or witness; or

f.  Member’s parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law is a respondent, complainant, or witness.

3.  No Member shall participate in the consideration or adoption of rules or amendments thereof that affect the actual ballot for an election on which the Member’s name appears.

4.  Members should not serve as a poll watcher for a particular candidate or a political organization in a primary, election, or special election.

5.  Members should not serve as a poll manager in a primary, election, or special election

6.  These rules shall apply prospectively and shall not in any way limit, diminish, or impair the statutory responsibilities and obligations of the Secretary of State as the Chief Election Officer.

The State Election Board Code of Conduct is intended to serve as a guide for the conduct of State Election Board Members (“Member(s))”. The Code of Conduct presents specific ethical principles to guide Members in their responsibilities and actions while serving on the State Election Board (“SEB”). The Code of Conduct shall not supplant the Georgia Constitution, the Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest requirements in Chapter 10 of Title 45 in the Georgia Code, or any provision of Title 21 in the Georgia Code related to the SEB.

1.  Members shall be honest, fair, and avoid any appearance of conflict and/or impropriety.

2.  A Member is expected not to participate in any matter or proceeding before the SEB, including participation in debate and discussion of a matter, under the following circumstances:

a.  Member serves on the campaign committee for a respondent, complainant, or witness;

b.  Member has made a public endorsement of the candidacy of a respondent, complainant, or witness;

c.  Member has made a financial contribution, an in-kind contribution, and/or provided personal services to a candidate who has qualified for a primary or election under the Georgia Election Code, previous candidate, or officeholder who is a respondent, complainant, or witness;

d.  Member’s employer or any entity in which the Member holds an equity and/or economic interest has made a financial contribution, made an in-kind contribution, or provided any personal or professional services to a respondent, complainant, or witness;

e.  Any matter in which a Member has made a financial contribution, in-kind contribution or contribution of personal or professional services to any organization covered under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3 (defined as candidates, campaign committees, connected organizations, independent committee, or political action committee) and such organization or employee thereof is a respondent, complainant, or witness; or

f.  Member’s parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law is a respondent, complainant, or witness.

3.  No Member shall participate in the consideration or adoption of rules or amendments thereof that affect the actual ballot for an election on which the Member’s name appears.

4.  Members should not serve as a poll watcher for a particular candidate or a political organization in a primary, election, or special election.

5.  Members should not serve as a poll manager in a primary, election, or special election

6.  These rules shall apply prospectively and shall not in any way limit, diminish, or impair the statutory responsibilities and obligations of the Secretary of State as the Chief Election Officer.