Court Opinion

ID: 9602866
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:01:01.466598+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:54:12.595641
License: Public Domain

Deen, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
This election was held in Madison County in November, 1976. Graham had to have been domiciled in Madison for two years prior thereto to be eligible. The majority opinion correctly holds, under Clark v. Hammock, 228 Ga. 157 (184 SE2d 581) that the residency requirements in this eligibility statute "refer to domicile.”
Then it holds that domicile is a question of intent and that there is sufficient evidence to show an intent to be domiciled in Madison County where appellee grew up, in other words, it adjudicates the evidence does not demand a finding that appellee’s domicile had been changed from Madison to Henry and then moved back to Madison a few months before the election.
This ignores the fact that Graham lived outside of Madison County most of the time from age 17 to 41. For several years (1967) prior to 1976 he lived in Henry County. He has been a registered voter in Henry County from 1968 to 1976. His personal property was returned for taxation in Henry County. He showed Henry as his residence on income tax and application for motor vehicle tags which were purchased there, among other things.
While the majority opinion correctly reads "residence” to mean domicile for eligibility purposes, it *503fails to read "residence” to mean domicile for voting purposes, and both statements are equally true. Herein lies the difficulty. "One must vote at the place of his domicile. He may be temporarily residing elsewhere. . . The word 'reside’ [in the statute] is used in the sense of 'domicile.’ Wherever the word 'reside’ occurs either in the statutes or in the constitution of Georgia with respect to voting, it should be construed to mean 'domicile.’ ” Avery v. Bower, 170 Ga. 202 (2) (152 SE 239). Further, our Election Code specifies: "The word 'residence’ shall mean domicile.” Code § 34-103 (aa).
Thus as a matter of law Graham could only run for office in the county where he had been domiciled two years, and he could only vote in the county where he was domiciled, and the same rules apply to determine domicile in both cases. But Graham physically lived in Henry County and also voted in Henry County, so he was in fact not domiciled in Madison County for two years when he ran for office. In fact, he showed his intention to change domiciles when he moved his voting registration from Henry back to Madison County a few months before the election.
The majority opinion correctly points out that domicile is usually a question for the trior of fact. The exception, however, is where a finding is demanded, through circumstantial evidence or otherwise, of what that intention was. In Smiley v. Davenport, 139 Ga. App. 753 (229 SE2d 489), a case written by Judge Quillian in which Judge Webb participated, the quantum of evidence necessary to demand a finding of domicile in a particular political entity was discussed, and the court, reversing the trial court, held that where such finding is demanded the issue is no longer for the jury. The evidence in that case much resembles the evidence here. The court stated: "Particularly persuasive to us in the instant case was evidence of registration to vote and voting in Georgia elections. Only citizens of this state may vote in any Georgia primary or election. Code Ann. § 34-603 . . . Neither 'residence’ nor 'domicile’ standing alone, furnishes all the qualifications for voting, but 'one must vote at the place of his domicile’ even though he be temporarily residing elsewhere. Avery v. Bower, 170 Ga. *504202, supra. As the evidence of record demanded a finding of domicile for petitioner in Georgia at the time of the incident. . . the trial court erred in failing to dismiss. . .”
I find the difficulty with the present case to be that Graham is not eligible for election in Madison County unless his domicile was there between 1974 and 1976, and he could not vote in Henry County unless his domicile was there at the time of voting, but he was nevertheless registered to vote and did vote in Henry County between 1968 and 1976. This in addition to all his other statements made for tax and motor vehicle purposes representing his residence to be in Henry County, plus the fact that he actually was living in Henry County, in my opinion demands a finding that he was domiciled in Henry County from 1968 to 1976. He was therefore not qualified for office in Madison County in 1976.
I am authorized to state that Chief Judge Bell and Judge Shulman join in this dissent. Presiding Judge Quillian concurs in the result of this dissent.