TITLE 21 ELECTIONS

Section 2. Elections and Primaries Generally, 21-2-1 through 21-2-604.

ARTICLE 6 REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

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.

1. It shall be the duty of the county board of registrars to determine the eligibility of each person applying to register to vote in such county.
2. Upon finding an elector eligible to vote in the county, the county board of registrars shall have the duty of determining and placing the elector in the proper congressional district; state Senate district; state House district; county commission district, if any; county or independent board of education district, if any; and municipal governing authority district, if any; such other voting districts, if any; and precinct.
3. It shall be the duty of each incorporated municipality located wholly or partially within the boundaries of a county to provide a detailed map showing the municipal boundaries, municipal precinct boundaries, and voting district boundaries to the county board of registrars no later than January 1, 1995, and within 15 days of any changes in such municipal boundaries, precinct boundaries, or voting district boundaries. Upon receiving any changes in municipal boundaries, the county board of registrars shall provide to the municipality a list of all voters affected by such changes with the street addresses of such electors for the purpose of verifying the changes with the municipality. Upon receiving the list of electors affected by changes in municipal boundaries, the municipality shall immediately review the information provided by the county registrars and advise the county registrars of any discrepancies.
4. Each person submitting an application for voter registration shall be notified of the disposition of such application. In the event that the person is found ineligible, the person shall be notified of the reasons for ineligibility. Such notices shall be sent to the person in writing by nonforwardable, first-class mail at the mailing address listed on the application.
5. Each elector found eligible to be registered to vote by the board of registrars shall be issued a card which shall contain the elector's name and address, a block or space for the elector's signature, the date of the elector's registration, the name and location of the elector's polling place or polling places if the county and municipal polling places are not the same, and the designation of the elector's congressional district; state Senate district; state House district; county commission district, if any; county or independent board of education district, if any; and municipal governing authority district, if any, and such other voting districts, if any. On the reverse side of the card, there shall be printed instructions which shall indicate the procedure to be followed in the event of the change of address of the elector. In the event an elector changes residences within the county in which an elector is registered to vote, the elector may change such elector's address by returning the card to the board of registrars of such county indicating the new address. Upon receipt of such card, the board of registrars shall make the necessary changes in the elector's registration records and issue a new card to the elector. In the event that an elector's precinct, polling place, or voting district or districts change, a new card shall be issued to the elector reflecting such changes. When the boundaries of a precinct are changed, all affected electors shall be sent a new card prior to the next primary or election. The form of such cards shall be determined by the Secretary of State. The issuance of such cards shall be sufficient as a notification of the disposition of an application for voter registration under this Code section, provided that such cards are sent by nonforwardable, first-class mail.
6. In the event that the registrars are required to issue voters new cards under subsection (e) of this Code section due to changes in districts or precincts as a result of reapportionment or court order, the registrars may apply to the Secretary of State prior to June 30 of each year for reimbursement of the costs of postage with respect to mailing such cards during the 12 month period ending on June 30 of that year. The Secretary of State shall receive all such applications and shall, no later than June 30 of each year, reimburse the counties for such costs from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose. In the event that the total amount of the requests for reimbursement exceeds the funds appropriated for reimbursement, the Secretary of State shall reimburse the counties on a pro rata basis. In the event that no funds are specifically appropriated for reimbursement, no such reimbursement shall be made.
7. In the event that the registrars of a county, serving as registrars for a municipality, are required to issue voters in a municipality new cards under subsection (e) of this Code section due to changes in municipal districts or precincts, the municipality shall reimburse the county registrars for the cost of postage in mailing such cards to the voters.

(Code 1981, §21-2-226, enacted by Ga. L. 1994, p. 1443, § 3; Ga. L. 1997, p. 590, § 22; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 240, § 18; Ga. L. 2015, p. 385, § 6-2/HB 252; Ga. L. 2017, p. 697, § 10/HB 268.)

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, in the first sentence of subsection (c), deleted "after the preclearance" following "within 15 days" in the middle and deleted "pursuant to Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c), as amended" following "boundaries" at the end.

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, substituted "municipality" for "municipal registrar" in the middle of the second and third sentences of subsection (c).