Why the difference in ballot questions?

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On June 28, 2010 I emailed the GA Board of Elections because I was not satisfied with the response from our local board of elections personnel about registering with Republican or Democrat party affiliation. I wanted to register as an Independent as I did in Florida.

This is the response I received from Rhonda Brown, Operations Coordinator, SOS Elections Division:

Thank you for your email.

The State of Georgia does not register voters with any party affiliation.  During a primary election, a registered voter may cast a ballot in the Republican or Democratic Primary, but not both.  There will be no choice to make for the general election because all candidates will be on one ballot. If I may be of further assistance, please let me know.

So here we are for today's election and there are ballot questions for Republicans and Democrats but they are not the same. I see the question asked in the comments of the Augusta Chronicle article and maybe an email to the local media will provide the real answer but of course only after the election.

Republican ballot questions

1. Should Georgia have casino gambling with funds going to education?

2. Do you support ending the current practice of unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators by imposing a $100 cap on such gifts?

3. Should active duty military personnel who are under the age of 21 be allowed to obtain a Georgia weapons license?

4. Should citizens who wish to vote in a primary election be required to register by their political party affiliation at least 30 days prior to such primary election?

5. Should the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the paramount right to life is vested in each innocent human being from his or her earliest biological beginning without regard to age, race, sex, health, function, or condition of dependency?

6. Should the Richmond County School Board members be limited to serve only 2 four year terms?

7. Should the sheriff, solicitor general, coroner, clerk of superior court, probate judge, tax commissioner, and civil court judges elections be non-partisan?

8. Should the Augusta-Richmond County Commission pass an ordinance banning smoking in public places?

9. Should the state of Georgia pass legislation to allow for gambling on horse racing in Georgia?

10. Should the Augusta-Richmond County Commission pay for the moving of families out of Hyde Park subdivision?

Democrat ballot questions

1. Should the Georgia Constitution be amended to allow the state to override locally elected school boards’ decisions when it comes to the creation of charter schools in your county or city?

2. Do you support ending current practice permitting unlimited gifts from lobbyists to state legislators?

3. Should Georgia  adopt an income tax credit for home energy costs to support the economic security of our families?

4. Should Georgia reduce sales taxes on made in Georgia products so as to support the growth of small businesses in our state?

5. Currently, the candidates for mayor and commissioners qualify as non-partisan. Would you like the law changed so that they qualify as partisan (Democrat or Republican)?

Just wondering, Normal Ops or SNAFU?

Other posts/sites you may be interested in:

How to become a poll worker in Augusta, GA

So you want to run for a position on the Richmond County Board of Education

My Voter Page

Comments, +1s, reaction box checks are always welcome.

Funny, Independent Voter Womens Long Sleeve T-Shirt

So you want to run for a position on the Richmond County Board of Education?

Many people qualify but for one reason or another they do not run for this position. Sometimes the reason is due to not knowing where to start. The first site you can check is the Augusta government website. Under the Departments tab select A-E, then Board of Elections. You can visit the RCBoEd site to see the school board members, districts, contact information and when their terms are due to expire. As you can see from the site, personnel holding the positions for Districts 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 (At large district) expire December 31, 2012. This means if you want to run for one of the positions, you must register between Wednesday, May 23 beginning at 9:00 AM and no later than (NLT) Friday, May 25, 2012 by noon.

Qualifying
Qualifying for partisan (Democrat and Republican) and non-partisan offices opens Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:00 Noon on Friday, May 25, 2012.
Information regarding the qualifications and requirements to seek public office may be found in the publication Qualifications and Disqualifications to Seek Public Office, which is published by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010
To locate information on the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010 and to file campaign reports visit the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

This information is from page 252 of the 272 pages of the Qualifications and Disqualifications for Holding State or County Elective Office in Georgia.
MEMBER, COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Qualifications
1. Must be a citizen of this state. 
2. Must have been a resident of the county from which elected for 12 months immediately
preceding election.
3. Must be a qualified voter. O.C.G.A. § 45-2-1
4. Must reside within the school district in which he or she seeks election and in the election
district which he or she represents. Ga. Const. Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2 O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51
Cross-Reference:
Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2, and O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51 establish county school districts under the management and control of a county board of education.
Annotation:
Residency requirements for the election of local school board members cannot be established
by local board bylaws. Op. Atty. Gen. U97-25.
5. Must not be
a) employed by or serving on the governing board of any private educational body or
institution;
b) employed by the local board of education and be on the same board;
c) employed by either the State Department of Education or the State Board of Education.
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51 (c)
Term of Office and Election
6. Term of office is four years unless otherwise provided by local act or constitutional
amendment. Ga. Const. Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2 O.C.G.A. § 20-2-52
7. Elected in the general election held on Tuesday following the first Monday in November
in each even-numbered year next preceding the expiration of the term of office.
O.C.G.A. § 21-2-9
8. Elected in partisan elections unless nonpartisan elections are provided for by local law.
O.C.G.A. §§ 20-2-56, 21-2-139
9. A candidate for member of a county board of education must pay a qualification fee or
file a pauper’s affidavit.
O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-131, 21-2-132, 21-2-153
Annotations:
1. If a candidate is unable to pay required qualifying fee, candidate may execute a
pauper’s affidavit in lieu of qualifying fee and be afforded the opportunity to run.
Op. Atty. Gen. 72-48. See Georgia Socialist Workers Party v. Fortson, 315 F. Supp.
1035 (N.D. Ga. 1970).
2. A candidate for the final half of an unexpired term must pay the full qualification
fee just as if he or she were running for a full term. Op. Atty. Gen. U70-77.
3. For the purpose of computing qualifying fee, only the salary which the law provides
for the office directly involved should be included and not the additional compensation
paid for the ex-officio position held by the incumbent. Op. Atty. Gen. 70-53.
4. An elected official cannot rely on payment of an incorrectly advertised qualifying
fee to compel the governing authority to compensate the elected official beyond the
salary permitted by statute. Rowland v. Tattnall County, 260 Ga. 109, 390 S.E. 2d
217 (1990).

If you qualify, the next step is to bookmark this site, Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission and select your role, Candidate, Non-Candidate Committee, Lobbyist, Public Official, Qualifying Officer, State Employee, and/or Vendor. 

Select Candidate, check out the site and:
1. File a Declaration of Intention to Accept Contributions.
2. File a PIN Application for e-filing CCDR & PFD (Candidates / Elected Officials).
3. If you have  designated someone to file your reports or  if anyone is collecting your contributions or expending your contributions, file a Registration Form for a Candidate’s Campaign Committee.
4. File a form for Choosing Option of Separate Accounting.
5. File reports according to your schedule.

Do you want to see reports submitted by existing office holders or other campaign reports? Search reports by types:  Campaign Reports, Personal Financial Reports & Affidavits, Business Transaction Reports, Lobbyist Reports, Late/Non-Filer Reports, Campaign Contributions Map, Vendor Gifts Reports.

If you want to be one part of the change that you want, starting at the local level is an option.
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

How to become a poll worker in Augusta, GA

So you want to be a poll worker in Augusta, GA?
The Richmond County Board of Elections is currently looking for persons to work at the polls on Election Day. Beginning pay is $100 per day, with an opportunity for advancement.

• You will be required to attend a training session.
• You must report to your assigned polling location at 6:00 am on the day of the election and work until the polls close and all paper work and machine close out is completed.
• You will complete your assignment by 8:00 pm, but there are times when your day could be longer.

Requirements to be Poll Worker - Augusta, GA
You must meet the following criteria:

• Be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Richmond County.
• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Be able to read, write, and speak the English language.
• No person holding public office or Candidate for Office may serve as a poll worker.
• An immediate relative of an elected official cannot serve in an election where the relative is a candidate.

Find your polling location

If you are interested, please contact our office at (706) 821-2341.

Absentee Ballot information