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 2 - SUPERVISORY BOARDS AND OFFICERS (§§ 21-2-30 — 21-2-108) › Part 2 - SECRETARY OF STATE (§§ 21-2-50 — 21-2-52) › Section 21-2-50 - Powers and duties; prohibition against serving in fiduciary capacity

(a)
The Secretary of State shall exercise all the powers granted to the Secretary of State by this chapter and shall perform all the duties imposed by this chapter, which shall include the following:
(1)
To determine the forms of nomination petitions, ballots, and other forms the Secretary of State is required to determine under this chapter;
(2)
To receive registration statements from political parties and bodies and to determine their sufficiency prior to filing, in accordance with this chapter, and to settle any disputes concerning such statements;
(3)
To receive and determine the sufficiency of nomination petitions of candidates filing notice of their candidacy with the Secretary of State in accordance with this chapter;
(4)
To certify to the proper superintendent official lists of all the political party candidates who have been certified to the Secretary of State as qualified candidates for the succeeding primary and to certify to the proper superintendent official lists of all the candidates who have filed their notices of candidacy with the Secretary of State, both such certifications to be in substantially the form of the ballots to be used in the primary or election. The Secretary of State shall add to such form the language to be used in submitting any proposed constitutional amendment or other question to be voted upon at such election;
(5)
To furnish to the proper superintendent all blank forms, including tally and return sheets, numbered lists of voters, cards of instructions, notices of penalties, instructions for marking ballots, tally sheets, precinct returns, recap sheets, consolidated returns, oaths of managers and clerks, oaths of assisted electors, voters certificates and binders, applications for absentee ballots, envelopes and instruction sheets for absentee ballots, and such other supplies as the Secretary of State shall deem necessary and advisable from time to time, for use in all elections and primaries. Such forms shall have printed thereon appropriate instructions for their use;
(6)
To receive from the superintendent the returns of primaries and elections and to canvass and compute the votes cast for candidates and upon questions, as required by this chapter;
(7)
To furnish upon request a certified copy of any document in the Secretary of State's custody by virtue of this chapter and to fix and charge a fee to cover the cost of furnishing same;
(8)
To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law;
(9)
To determine and approve the form of ballots for use in special elections;
(10)
To prepare and provide a notice to all candidates for federal or state office advising such candidates of such information, to include requirements of this chapter, as may, in the discretion of the Secretary of State, be conducive to the fair, legal, and orderly conduct of primaries and elections. A copy of such notice shall be provided to each superintendent for further distribution to candidates for county and militia district offices;
(11)
To conduct training sessions at such places as the Secretary of State deems appropriate in each year for the training of registrars and superintendents of elections;
(12)
To prepare and publish, in the manner provided in this chapter, all notices and advertisements in connection with the conduct of elections which may be required by law;
(13)
To prepare and furnish information for citizens on voter registration and voting;
(14)
To maintain the official list of registered voters for this state and the list of inactive voters required by this chapter; and
(15)
To develop, program, build, and review ballots for use by counties and municipalities on voting systems in use in the state.
(b)
As the state's chief election official, the Secretary of State shall not serve in any fiduciary capacity for the campaign of any candidate whose election will be certified by the Secretary of State. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the Secretary of State from organizing and operating his or her own campaign for election to public office.
Amended by 2023 Ga. Laws 353,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2023.
Amended by 2019 Ga. Laws 24,§ 2, eff. 4/2/2019.
Amended by 2005 Ga. Laws 53,§ 6, eff. 7/1/2005.
Amended by 2003 Ga. Laws 209, § 3, eff. 7/1/2003.
Amended by 2001 Ga. Laws 165.