GA Code § 36-35-4.1 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 36 - Local Government|Chapter 35 - Home Rule Powers|§ 36-35-4.1. Reapportionment of Election Districts for Municipal Elections

  Subject to the limitations provided by this Code section, the governing authority of any municipal corporation is authorized to reapportion the election districts from which members of the municipal governing authority are elected following publication of the United States decennial census of 1980 or any future such census. Such reapportionment of districts shall be effective for the election of members to the municipal governing authority at the next regular general municipal election following the publication of the decennial census; provided, however, that, if the publication of the decennial census occurs within 120 days of the next general or special municipal election, such reapportionment of districts shall be effective for any subsequent special election and the subsequent general municipal election.   The municipal governing authority shall by ordinance amend its charter pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Code Section 36-35-3 to reapportion the districts in accordance with the following specifications:   Each reapportioned district shall be formed of contiguous territory; and the boundary lines of such district shall be the center lines of streets or other well-defined boundaries;   Variations in population among such districts shall comply with the one person-one vote requirements of the United States Constitution; and   The reapportionment shall be limited to adjusting the boundary lines of the existing districts only to the extent reasonably necessary to comply with the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection; and the number of members of the municipal governing body and the manner of electing such members, except for the adjustment of district boundary lines, shall not be changed by the municipal governing authority.     In addition to reapportionment following publication of the decennial census, a municipal governing authority shall reapportion districts pursuant to this Code section if the annexation of additional territory to the corporate boundaries of the municipality has the effect of denying electors residing within the newly annexed territory the right to vote for members of the municipal governing authority on substantially the same basis as the other electors of the municipality vote for members of the municipal governing authority. The reapportionment provided for in this subsection shall meet the criteria specified in subsection (b) of this Code section and shall be further limited to making only those adjustments in district boundary lines as may be reasonably necessary to include the newly annexed territory within such districts. Reapportionment under this subsection shall be effective for the next regular general municipal election following the annexation.   This Code section shall not prohibit the General Assembly from enacting a local law at any time to amend the charter of a municipality to reapportion or otherwise change election districts from which members of the municipal governing authority are elected. If such action is taken by the General Assembly following publication of a decennial census, but before the first regular general municipal election following the publication of such census, the local Act of the General Assembly shall nullify the power given to the municipal governing authority by subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section to reapportion districts following publication of that decennial census. If such action is taken by the General Assembly in conjunction with the annexation, by local Act of the General Assembly, of additional territory to the corporate boundaries of the municipality, the local Act of the General Assembly shall nullify the power and duty given to the municipal governing authority by subsection (c) of this Code section to reapportion districts as a result of that annexation.   In addition to reapportionment following publication of the decennial census, the governing authority of any municipal corporation with a population of 40,000 or more according to the latest United States decennial census is authorized not more than one time during the ten-year period between the publication of consecutive decennial censuses to reapportion or modify the election districts from which members of the municipal governing authority are elected; provided, however, that (1) no such reapportionment shall result in the redistricting of more than 600 persons, (2) no such reapportionment shall occur within 180 days of a general or special municipal election or primary, and (3) a map reflecting any changes and copies of any communications to or from the United States Department of Justice relating to such changes are furnished to the Secretary of State and the Legislative Reapportionment Office within 30 days after such change or communication. Such reapportionment of districts shall be effective for the election of one or more members to the municipal governing authority at the next regular general municipal election or special municipal election following such reapportionment.    (Ga. L. 1981, p. 497, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 864, § 1; Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 49/SB 202.)    The 2021 amendment,  effective March 25, 2021, added the proviso at the end of subsection (a).   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."   Law reviews.   - For article surveying developments in Georgia local government law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 187 (1981).   RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 14 Am. Jur. 2d, Census, § 9. 25 Am. Jur. 2d, Elections, §§ 13 et seq., 23 et seq.   C.J.S.   - 29 C.J.S., Elections, § 83.