Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 183 - RULES OF STATE ELECTION BOARD › Chapter 183-1 - GEORGIA ELECTION CODE › Subject 183-1-12 - PREPARATION FOR AND CONDUCT OF PRIMARIES AND ELECTIONS › Rule 183-1-12-.11 - Conducting Elections

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
1. As each voter presents himself or herself
				at the polling place for the purpose of voting during the time during which the
				polls are open for voting, each voter shall be offered instruction by a poll
				officer in the method of voting on the voting system. In providing such
				instruction, the poll officers shall not in any manner request, suggest, or
				seek to persuade or induce any voter to vote any particular candidate,
				political party, or political body, or for or against any particular
				question.
2.
(a) When a person presents himself or herself
				at the polling place for the purpose of voting during the time during which the
				polls are open for voting, the person shall complete a voter certificate and
				submit it to the poll officers. The voter certificate may be an electronic or
				paper record. The poll officers shall verify the identity of the person and
				that the person is a registered voter of the precinct and, if so, shall approve
				the voter certificate and enter an appropriate designation on the electors list
				for the precinct reflecting that the voter has voted in the primary, election,
				or runoff being conducted. The voter's name shall then be entered on the
				appropriate numbered list of voters.
(b) A poll officer shall then issue the voter
				an appropriate voter access card authorizing the voter to vote the correct
				ballot on the touchscreen or utilize the correct access code to manually bring
				up the correct ballot on the touchscreen. The voter shall then enter the
				enclosed space in the polling place and proceed to vote his or her choices.
				Upon making his or her selections, the voter shall cause the paper ballot to
				print, remove his or her printed ballot from the printer, remove the voter
				access card from the touchscreen component, review the selections on his or her
				printed ballot, scan his or her printed ballot into the scanner, and return the
				voter access card to a poll officer. Then the voter shall exit the enclosed
				area of the polling place.
(c) If
				an emergency situation makes utilizing the electronic ballot markers impossible
				or impracticable, as determined by the election superintendent, the poll
				officer shall issue the voter an emergency paper ballot that is to be filled
				out with a pen after verifying the identity of the voter and that the person is
				a registered voter of the precinct. Emergency paper ballots shall not be
				treated as provisional ballots, but instead shall be placed into the scanner in
				the same manner that printed ballots in the polling place are scanned. The
				election superintendent shall cause each polling place to have a sufficient
				amount of emergency paper ballots so that voting may continue uninterrupted if
				emergency circumstances render the electronic ballot markers or printers
				unusable. For any primary or general election for which a state or federal
				candidate is on the ballot, a sufficient amount of emergency paper ballots
				shall be at least 10% of the number of registered voters to a polling place.
				The poll manager shall store all emergency ballots in a secure manner and
				ensure that all used and unused emergency ballots are accounted for. All unused
				emergency ballots shall be placed into a secure envelope and sealed such that
				the envelope cannot be opened without breaking such seal.
(d) If an emergency situation exists that
				makes voting on the electronic ballot markers impossible or impracticable, the
				poll manager shall alert the election superintendent as soon as possible. The
				existence of an emergency situation shall be in the discretion of the election
				supervisor. However, if a poll manager is unable to contact the election
				superintendent after diligent effort, the poll manager shall have the ability
				to declare that an emergency situation exists at the polling place. The poll
				manager shall continue diligent efforts to contact the election superintendent,
				and shall inform the superintendent as soon as possible of the situation at the
				polling place. The election superintendent, in his or her discretion, shall
				either overrule or concur with the declaration of emergency circumstances.
				While the determination of an emergency situation is in the discretion of the
				election superintendent, the types of events that may be considered emergencies
				are power outages, malfunctions causing a sufficient number of electronic
				ballot markers to be unavailable for use, or waiting times longer than 30
				minutes.