Bill Text: GA HB227 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Elections; address confidentiality; provisions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2009-07-01 - Effective Date [HB227 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-HB227-Introduced.html

---

09 LC 28 4442/AP

House Bill 227 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

By: Representatives Dempsey of the 13th, Keen of the 179th, Sims of the 119th, Carter of the 175th, Willard of the 49th, and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to primaries and elections generally, so as to provide for the confidentiality of the addresses of certain registered voters; to provide for the manner of invoking such confidentiality; to provide for the terms and conditions of such confidentiality; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to primaries and elections generally, is amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 21-2-225, relating to confidentiality of original registration applications, as follows:

"(b) All Except as provided in Code Section 21-2-225.1, all data collected and maintained on electors whose names appear on the list of electors maintained by the Secretary of State pursuant to this article shall be available for public inspection with the exception of bank statements submitted pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-220 and subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-417, the date of birth, the social security numbers, and driver's license numbers of the electors, and the locations at which the electors applied to register to vote, which shall remain confidential and shall be used only for voter registration purposes; provided, however, that any and all information relating to the dates of birth, social security numbers, and driver's license numbers of electors may be made available to other state agencies of this state, agencies of other states and territories of the United States, and to agencies of the federal government if the agency is authorized to maintain such information and the information is used only to identify the elector on the receiving agency's data base and is not disseminated further and remains confidential."

SECTION 2.

Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"21-2-225.1.

(a) Any registered elector in this state who has obtained a protective order under Code Section 19-13-4 or under a similar provision of law in another state or who has obtained a restraining order or protective order under Code Section 16-5-94 or under a similar provision of law in another state may request the board of registrars of such elector's county of residence to make such elector's residence address confidential. An elector who is a bona fide resident of a family violence shelter, as defined in Code Section 19-13-20, may request to have his or her address made confidential without having to obtain a restraining order or protective order.

(b) Upon the filing of a request with an affidavit under oath with the board of registrars by a registered elector stating that the elector has obtained a protective order under Code Section 19-13-4 or similar provision of law from another state or a restraining order or protective order under Code Section 16-5-94 or a similar provision of law of another state or, if the elector is a resident of a family violence shelter, a certification by the operators of such family violence shelter that such elector is a bona fide resident of such shelter, the registrars shall immediately review such request and supporting documents and, if such request and documentation is sufficient, shall approve the request and immediately take such steps as necessary to make the residence address of the elector confidential.

(c) A request under this Code section, once approved, shall be effective for a period of four years following its approval by the registrars and may be renewed for additional four-year periods by the filing of a new request with the supporting documentation required by subsection (b) of this Code section prior to the end of each four-year period. If the elector registers to vote in another county in this state or another state, a new request for confidentiality of the elector's residence address with the supporting documentation required in subsection (b) of this Code section shall be filed with the new county in order to continue the confidentiality of the elector's residence address or the confidentiality shall terminate.

(d) The Secretary of State shall provide by procedure, rule, or regulation for the mechanism by which such information shall be made confidential on the voter registration data base and may provide for forms for use in making such requests and for the use of alternate addresses for electors who file requests for the confidentiality of their residence addresses.

(e) Information made confidential pursuant to this Code section shall not be subject to disclosure under Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50."

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.