Section 21-2-216. Qualifications of electors generally; reregistration of electors purged from list; eligibility of nonresidents who vote in presidential elections; retention of qualification for standing as elector; evidence of citizenship; check of convicted felons and deceased persons databases

   (a) No person shall vote in any primary or election held in this state unless such person shall be:

   (1) Registered as an elector in the manner prescribed by law;

   (2) A citizen of this state and of the United States;

   (3) At least 18 years of age;

   (4) A resident of this state and of the county or municipality in which he or she seeks to vote; and

   (5) Possessed of all other qualifications prescribed by law.

(b) In addition to the qualifications in subsection (a) of this Code section, no person who has been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may register, remain registered, or vote except upon completion of the sentence and no person who has been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent may register, remain registered, or vote unless the disability has been removed.

(c) Any person who possesses the qualifications of an elector except that concerning age shall be permitted to register to vote if such person will acquire such qualification within six months after the day of registration; provided, however, that such person shall not be permitted to vote in a primary or election until the acquisition of all specified qualifications.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any person who was qualified and registered to vote on June 24, 1964, shall not be required to reregister under the terms of this article unless such person shall have become or becomes disqualified to vote by reason of having been purged from the list of electors or for any other reason whatsoever, in which event such person shall, in order to become registered to vote, reregister under the terms of this article.

(e) If any citizen of this state begins residence in another state after the thirtieth day next preceding any election for President and Vice President and, for that reason, does not satisfy the registration requirements of that state, such citizen shall be allowed to vote for presidential and vice presidential electors, in that election, in person in this state if such citizen satisfied, as of the date of such citizen's change of residence, the requirements to vote in this state, or by absentee ballot in this state if such citizen satisfies, but for such citizen's nonresident status and the reason for such citizen's absence, the requirements for absentee voting in this state.

(f) No person shall remain an elector longer than such person shall retain the qualifications under which such person registered.

(g) (1) On and after January 1, 2010, an application for registration under this chapter shall be accompanied by satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship. Upon the receipt of an application without satisfactory evidence of citizenship, the board of registrars shall notify the applicant in writing of the requirement to provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. The board of registrars shall not determine the eligibility of the applicant until and unless satisfactory evidence of citizenship is supplied by the applicant. If the initial application is received without satisfactory evidence of citizenship prior to the close of voter registration preceding an election, but the applicant supplies satisfactory evidence of citizenship on or prior to the date of such election and the applicant is found eligible to vote, the applicant shall be permitted to vote in the election and any run-off elections resulting therefrom and subsequent elections; provided, however, that those electors who register to vote for the first time in this state by mail also shall supply current and valid identification as required in subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-220. In the event the applicant does not respond to the request for the missing information within 30 days following the sending of notification to provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship, the application shall be rejected.

   (2) Satisfactory evidence of citizenship shall include any of the following:

      (A) The number of the applicant's Georgia driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Driver Services if the applicant has provided satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship to the Department of Driver Services or a legible photocopy of the applicant's driver's license or identification card issued by an equivalent government agency of another state if the agency indicates on the driver's license or identification card that the applicant has provided satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship to the agency;

      (B) A legible photocopy of the applicant's birth certificate that verifies citizenship to the satisfaction of the board of registrars;

      (C) A legible photocopy of pertinent pages of the applicant's United States passport identifying the applicant and the applicant's passport number or presentation to the board of registrars of the applicant's United States passport;

      (D) A presentation to the board of registrars of the applicant's United States naturalization documents or the alien registration number from the applicant's naturalization documents. If only the applicant's alien registration number is provided, the applicant shall not be found eligible to vote until the applicant's alien registration number is verified with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services by the board of registrars;

      (E) Other documents or methods of proof that are established pursuant to the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (P. L. 99-603);

      (F) The applicant's Bureau of Indian Affairs card number, tribal treaty card number, or tribal enrollment number; and

      (G) For residents of this state who are United States citizens but are not in possession of any of the documents or methods of proof enumerated under subparagraphs (A) through (F) of this paragraph, other documents or methods of proof for establishing evidence of United States citizenship which shall be promulgated by rule and regulation of the State Election Board.

   (3) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection, any person who is registered in this state on December 31, 2009, shall be deemed to have provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be required to submit evidence of citizenship.

   (4) After citizenship has been demonstrated to a board of registrars, an elector shall not be required to resubmit satisfactory evidence of citizenship in that or any other county in this state so long as the person continuously remains an elector of this state.

   (5) For the purposes of this subsection, proof of voter registration from another state shall not be satisfactory evidence of citizenship.

   (6) After a person has submitted satisfactory evidence of citizenship, the board of registrars shall indicate such information on the elector's voter registration record. After two years, the board of registrars may destroy all documents that were submitted as evidence of citizenship.

   (7) The Secretary of State shall establish procedures to match an applicant's voter registration information to the information contained in the data base maintained by the Department of Driver Services for the verification of the accuracy of the information provided on the application for voter registration, including whether the applicant has provided satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship.

(h) Prior to approving the application of a person to register to vote, the registrars may check the data bases of persons convicted of felonies and deceased persons maintained by the Secretary of State.

Code 1981, § 21-2-216, enacted by Ga. L. 1994, p. 1443, § 3; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 712, § 1/SB 86; Ga. L. 2011, p. 683, § 6/SB 82.