2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 21 - ELECTIONS (§§ 21-1-1 — 21-5-76) › Chapter 2 - ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY (§§ 21-2-1 — 21-2-604) › Article 9 - VOTING MACHINES AND VOTE RECORDERS GENERALLY (§§ 21-2-310 — 21-2-379.26) › Part 5 - ELECTRONIC RECORDING VOTING SYSTEMS (§§ 21-2-379 — 21-2-379.12) › Section 21-2-379.5 - Ballot information

(a)
If two or more candidates for the same nomination or office shall have the same or similar names, the Secretary of State, in the case of federal or state offices, the superintendent of elections, in the case of county offices, or the official with whom such candidates qualify, in the case of municipal elections, shall print or cause to be printed the residence of all candidates for such nomination or office on the ballot under their names. The designated official shall determine whether the names of the candidates are of such a similar nature as to warrant printing the residence of all candidates for that office on the ballot; and the decision of the designated official shall be conclusive.
(b)
The ballot for each candidate or group of candidates nominated by a political party or body shall display the name or designation of the political party or body.
(c)
The incumbency of a candidate seeking election for the public office he or she then holds shall be indicated on the ballot.
(d)
Unless a candidate has filed with his or her nominating petition a certificate from a political party or body attesting that such candidate is the nominee of such party or body by virtue of having been nominated in a duly constituted party or body convention, the candidate's name shall appear on the ballot as an independent.
(e)
When presidential electors are to be elected, the ballot shall not list the individual names of the candidates for presidential electors but shall list the names of each political party and body and the names of the political party or body candidates for the office of President and Vice President. The individual names or the nominees of each political party or body for such offices shall be posted at each polling place with the sample ballots required by subsection (d) of Code Section
21-2-379.7
arranged alphabetically under the names of the candidates of the party or body for President and Vice President of the United States. A vote for the candidates for President and Vice President of a political party or body shall be deemed to be a vote for each of the candidates for presidential electors of such political party or body.
(f)
When proposed constitutional amendments or other questions are submitted to a vote of the electors, each amendment or other question so submitted may be printed upon the ballot below the groups of candidates for the various offices. Proposed constitutional amendments so submitted shall be printed in the order determined by the Constitutional Amendments Publication Board and in brief form as directed by the General Assembly or, in the event of a failure to so direct, the form shall be determined by the Secretary of State and shall include the short title or heading provided for in subsection (c) of Code Section
50-12-101
. Unless otherwise provided by law, any other state-wide questions or questions to be presented to the electors of more than one county so submitted shall be printed in brief form as directed by the General Assembly or, in the event of a failure to so direct, the form shall be determined by the Secretary of State and shall include a short title or heading in bold face at the beginning of each such question on the ballot; and any local questions so submitted shall be printed in brief form as directed by the General Assembly or, in the event of a failure to so direct, the form shall be determined by the superintendent. Next to or below the question there shall be placed the words "YES" and "NO" between which the elector may choose in casting his or her vote.
(g)
The ballots shall vary in form only as the names of precincts, offices, candidates, or this chapter may require.
Amended by 2012 Ga. Laws 719,§ 24, eff. 7/1/2012.
Amended by 2003 Ga. Laws 209, § 31, eff. 7/1/2003.
Added by 2002 Ga. Laws 769, § 1-4, eff. 5/13/2002.