Section 21-2-214. Qualifications of registrars and deputy registrars; prohibited political activities; oath of office; privilege from arrest; duties conducted in public

   (a) Members of the board of registrars shall be electors of the state and county in which they serve, and any deputy registrars shall be electors of the state. All registrars shall be able to read, write, and speak the English language. Municipal registrars shall be registered Georgia voters and shall be able to read, write, and speak the English language. Registrars and deputy registrars shall have never been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude unless such person's civil rights have been restored and at least ten years have elapsed from the date of the completion of the sentence without a subsequent conviction of another felony involving moral turpitude and shall never have been convicted of a crime involving fraud, and the appointing authority shall be authorized to investigate the applicant's criminal history before making such appointment.

(b) The office of a member of a county or municipal board of registrars, a deputy registrar, member of a county or municipal board of elections or county or municipal board of elections and registration, or a member of a joint county-municipal board of elections or joint county-municipal board of elections and registration shall be vacated immediately upon such officer's qualifying for any nomination or office to be voted for at a primary or election or qualifying for any nomination or office or qualifying to have such officer's name placed on any primary or election ballot pursuant to Code Sections 21-2-132 and 21-2-153 or giving notice of such officer's intention of write-in candidacy; provided, however, that this Code section shall not apply to a chief deputy registrar who is also an elected public officer and who seeks to qualify for reelection to the public office such chief deputy registrar is presently holding. Nothing contained in this Code section shall cause the office of a member of a county or municipal board of registrars, deputy registrar, member of a county or municipal board of elections or county or municipal board of elections and registration, or a member of a joint county-municipal board of elections or joint county-municipal board of elections and registration to be vacated upon qualifying for or having such officer's name placed on the ballot or holding office in a political party or body or serving as a presidential elector.

(c) No member of a county or municipal board of registrars, deputy registrar, member of a county or municipal board of elections or county or municipal board of elections and registration, or a member of a joint county-municipal board of elections or joint county-municipal board of elections and registration, while conducting the duties of such person's office, shall engage in any political activity on behalf of a candidate, political party or body, or question, including, but not limited to, distributing campaign literature, engaging in any communication that advocates or criticizes a particular candidate, officeholder, or political party or body, and wearing badges, buttons, or clothing with partisan messages.

(d) Before entering upon the duties of office, each registrar and deputy registrar shall take the following oath before some officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of this state:
      "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and impartially discharge, to the best of my ability, the duties imposed upon me by law as (deputy) registrar."

(e) Registrars, deputy registrars, election superintendents, and poll officers shall be privileged from arrest upon days of primaries and elections, except for fraudulent misconduct of duty, felony, larceny, or breach of the peace.

(f) The registrars shall conduct their duties in public and all hearings on the qualifications of electors shall be conducted in public.

Code 1981, § 21-2-214, enacted by Ga. L. 1994, p. 1443, § 3; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 230, § 6; Ga. L. 2001, p. 240, § 13; Ga. L. 2003, p. 517, § 15; Ga. L. 2012, p. 995, § 12/SB 92.