08 LC 18
6606
House
Bill 932
By:
Representative Jenkins of the
8th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend an Act providing for the board of elections of Towns County, approved
April 13, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, p. 3876), so as to re-create the board as the Board
of Elections and Registration of Towns County; to provide for definitions; to
provide for the composition of the board and the selection and appointment of
members; to relieve certain officers of powers and duties and to provide for the
transfer of functions to the board; to provide for certain expenditures of
public funds; to provide for compensation of personnel; to provide for offices
and equipment; to provide for related matters; to provide for submission for
preclearance under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as
amended; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
An
Act providing for the board of elections of Towns County, approved April 13,
2001 (Ga. L. 2001, p. 3876), is amended by revising Section 1 as
follows:
"SECTION
1.
(a)
Pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 21-2-40 of the O.C.G.A., the board of
elections of Towns County shall become the Board of Elections and Registration
of Towns County.' The board shall have the powers, duties, and responsibilities
of the judge of the probate court of Towns County under Chapter 2 of
Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., the 'Georgia Election Code,' and the powers,
duties, and responsibilities of the board of registrars of Towns County under
Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., the 'Georgia Election Code.' The members
of the board in office immediately prior to the effective date in this Act shall
continue to serve until the regular expiration of their respective terms of
office. Successors thereto shall continue to be appointed as provided in
Section 4 of this Act.
(b)
The terms 'election,' 'elector,' 'political party,' 'primary,' and 'public
office' shall have the same meanings as set forth in Chapter 2 of Title 21 of
the O.C.G.A., the 'Georgia Election Code,' unless otherwise clearly apparent
from the text of this Act, and the term 'board' means the Board of Elections and
Registration of Towns County, 'commissioner' means the Commissioner of Towns
County, and 'county' means Towns County.
(c)
The board may request additional clerical assistants and staff as needed to
carry out efficiently the duties and functions of the board on either an
independent contract basis or as county employees, to be determined by the
commissioner. The commissioner shall be responsible for determining the pay and
salary of all clerical assistants and staff of the board. Any such persons
shall be hired by the commissioner, who shall consider the recommendation of the
board, and such clerical assistants shall be at-will, part-time employees of the
commissioner.
(d)
The commissioner shall provide suitable offices and equipment and funding
sufficient to employ the staff and other employees as may be
necessary."
SECTION
2.
The
commissioner shall cause, through his or her legal counsel, this Act to be
submitted for preclearance under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act of
1965, as amended, within 45 days after the date on which this Act is approved by
the Governor or otherwise becomes law without such
approval.
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective on September 1, 2008. Upon this Act becoming
effective, the judge of the probate court of Towns County and the existing board
of registrars of Towns County shall be relieved of all powers and duties to
which the board succeeds by the provisions of this Act and shall deliver to the
board all equipment, supplies, materials, books, papers, records, and facilities
pertaining to such powers and duties.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.