This series has presented some parts of Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021, including these:
- In order to receive an absentee ballot, a voter must apply for one and must provide identification.
- Vote computation, once begun, cannot stop until all the vote counting is completed.
- The State Election Board can suspend superintendents for violations of the election laws and can appoint a temporary superintendent who has the authority to hire or fire the director of elections, election supervisor, and all poll officers.
- Election superintendents and the county boards of registrars cannot accept any funds from sources other than the local, State or Federal governments.
- The Secretary of State no longer chairs the State Election Board but is only a non-voting member.
- The State Election Board must notify the Governor, the Speaker of the State House of Representatives and other state officials if it intends to make emergency rules.
- Each county will have at least one absentee ballot drop box, and there is a cap limiting each county’s total number allowed.
- Ballot drop boxes are only open during advance voting hours and must be under constant surveillance.
- Ballots must be printed on security paper with identifying features as an official ballot.
Here are a few more provisions of the new election law:
- The Attorney General is authorized to set up a telephone hotline for voters to file complaints of voter intimidation and election fraud. The Attorney General can review each complaint and determine if it should be investigated or prosecuted.
- Any person who knowingly accepts an absentee ballot from a voter for delivery to the board of registrars except as authorized by subsection (a) of Code Section 21-2-38 shall be guilty of a felony.
- Any emergency rule adopted by the State Election Board may be suspended upon the majority vote of the House of Representatives or Senate Committees on Judiciary within ten days of the receipt of such rule by the committees.
An informed voter is an empowered voter. Here is the new law to read yourself, if you are interested: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498