GA Code § 21-2-33.2 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 21 - Elections|Chapter 2 - Elections and Primaries Generally|Article 2 - Supervisory Boards and Officers|Part 1 - State Election Board, County Board of Elections, and County Board of Elections and Registration|§ 21-2-33.2. Extraordinary Relief; Hearings; Suspension and Reinstatement of Superintendents; Litigation Expenses

  The governing authority of a county or municipality, as applicable, following a recommendation based on an investigation by a performance review board pursuant to Code Section 21-2-106 may petition the State Election Board, through the Secretary of State, for extraordinary relief pursuant to this Code section. In addition, the State Election Board, on its own motion or following a recommendation based on an investigation by a performance review board pursuant to Part 5 of this article, may pursue the extraordinary relief provided in this Code section.   Upon receiving a petition or taking appropriate action pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section, the State Election Board shall conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if sufficient cause exists to proceed to a full hearing on the petition. Such preliminary investigation shall be followed by a preliminary hearing which shall take place not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days after the Secretary of State receives the petition. Service of the petition shall be made by hand delivery or by statutory overnight delivery to the Secretary of State's office. At such preliminary hearing, the State Election Board shall determine if sufficient cause exists to proceed to a full hearing on the petition or if the petition should be dismissed. The State Election Board shall promulgate rules and regulations for conducting such preliminary investigation and preliminary hearing.   Following the preliminary hearing described in subsection (b) of this Code section, the State Election Board may suspend a county or municipal superintendent pursuant to this Code section if at least three members of the board find, after notice and hearing, that:   By a preponderance of the evidence, a county or municipal superintendent has committed at least three violations of this title or of State Election Board rules and regulations, in the last two general election cycles; and the county or municipal superintendent has not sufficiently remedied the violations; or   By clear and convincing evidence, the county or municipal superintendent has, for at least two elections within a two-year period, demonstrated nonfeasance, malfeasance, or gross negligence in the administration of the elections.     A majority of the members of a board of elections, board of elections and registration, or county commission; a probate judge who serves as election superintendent, or, for a sole commissioner form of government, a sole commissioner may petition the Secretary of State to continue any hearing scheduled pursuant to this Code section. Upon a showing of good cause, the State Election Board may in its sound discretion continue any such hearing. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, deliberations held on such petition by the State Election Board shall not be open to the public; provided, however, that testimony shall be taken in an open meeting and a vote on the recommendation shall be taken in an open meeting following the hearing or at the next regularly scheduled meeting.     If the State Election Board makes a finding in accordance with subsection (c) of this Code section, it may suspend the superintendent or board of registrars with pay and appoint an individual to serve as the temporary superintendent. The temporary superintendent who is appointed shall be otherwise qualified to serve or meet the necessary qualifications within three months of appointment.   Any superintendent suspended under this Code section may petition the State Election Board for reinstatement no earlier than 30 days following suspension and no later than 60 days following suspension. In the event that a suspended superintendent or registrar does not petition for reinstatement within the allotted time period, his or her suspension shall be converted into permanent removal, and the temporary superintendent shall become a permanent superintendent subject to removal by the jurisdiction not less than nine months after his or her appointment.   If, after the expiration of the nine-month period following the appointment, the jurisdiction removes the permanent superintendent, any provisions of local or general law governing appointment of the superintendent shall govern the appointment of the superintendent.   If, at any time after the expiration of the nine-month period following the appointment, at least three members of the State Election Board find, after notice and hearing, that the jurisdiction no longer requires a superintendent appointed under this Code section, any provisions of local or general law governing appointment of the superintendent shall govern the appointment of the superintendent.     Upon petition for reinstatement by a superintendent suspended pursuant to a finding under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Code section, the State Election Board shall conduct a hearing for the purpose of receiving evidence relative to whether the superintendent's continued service as superintendent is more likely than not to improve the ability of the jurisdiction to conduct elections in a manner that complies with this chapter. The suspended superintendent shall be given at least 30 days' notice prior to such hearing and such hearing shall be held no later than 90 days after the petition is filed in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," except that the State Election Board shall have the power to call witnesses and request documents on its own initiative. If the State Election Board denies the petition, it shall be deemed a final agency decision under Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," and it may be appealed in a manner consistent with Code Section 50-13-19. The Attorney General or his or her designee shall represent the interests of the State Election Board in any such judicial review.   A local government shall not expend any public funds for attorneys' fees or expenses of litigation relating to the proceedings initiated pursuant to this Code section except to the extent such fees and expenses are incurred prior to and through the recommendation of the State Election Board as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit an insurance provider from covering attorneys' fees or expenses of litigation under an insurance policy. Any suspended superintendent who is reinstated by the State Election Board pursuant to this Code section may be reimbursed by the local government for his or her reasonable attorneys' fees and related expenses incurred in pursuing such reinstatement.   For purposes of this Code section, where a judge of probate court serves as the superintendent, the suspension authorized by this Code section shall apply only to the judge of probate court's duties as a superintendent and not as a judge of probate court.   When the State Election Board exercises its authority under subsection (f) of Code Section 21-2-33.1, the jurisdiction involved shall not diminish or reduce the funds already budgeted or appropriated by the jurisdiction pursuant to Code Section 21-2-71 and shall pay any necessary and reasonable funds over that amount, as determined by the temporary superintendent, to faithfully carry out their obligations under Code Section 21-2-70.     (Code 1981, §21-2-33.2, enacted by Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 7/SB 202.)   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."