Section 21-2-414. Restrictions on campaign activities and public opinion polling within the vicinity of a polling place; cellular phone use prohibited; prohibition of candidates from entering certain polling places; penalty

   (a) No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign literature, newspaper, booklet, pamphlet, card, sign, paraphernalia, or any other written or printed matter of any kind, nor shall any person solicit signatures for any petition or conduct any exit poll or public opinion poll with voters on any day in which ballots are being cast:

   (1) Within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established;

   (2) Within any polling place; or

   (3) Within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place.

These restrictions shall not apply to conduct occurring in private offices or areas which cannot be seen or heard by such electors.

(b) Rooms under the control or supervision of the board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk in which absentee ballots are being cast shall be considered polling places.

(c) Reserved.

(d) No person whose name appears as a candidate on the ballot being voted upon at a primary, election, special primary, or special election, except a judge of the probate court serving as the election superintendent, shall physically enter any polling place other than the polling place at which that person is authorized to cast his or her ballot for that primary, election, special primary, or special election and, after casting his or her ballot, the candidate shall not return to such polling place until after the poll has closed and voting has ceased or other than to transact business with the board of registrars, so long as the person does not violate any other provision of this Code section. Judges of the probate court serving as election superintendents shall enter polling places only as necessary to fulfill their duties as election superintendents and shall not engage in any practice prohibited by this Code section.

(e) This Code section shall not be construed to prohibit a poll officer from distributing materials, as required by law, which are necessary for the purpose of instructing electors or from distributing materials prepared by the Secretary of State which are designed solely for the purpose of encouraging voter participation in the election being conducted.

(f) Any person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Ga. L. 1956, p. 333, § 1; Ga. L. 1961, p. 557, § 1; Code 1933, §§ 34-1307, 34-1938, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, Ex. Sess., p. 26, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 308, § 3; Ga. L. 1977, p. 174, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 1039, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 674, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 632, § 5; Ga. L. 1986, p. 32, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 382, § 4; Ga. L. 1988, p. 647, § 3; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1084, § 3; Ga. L. 1993, p. 712, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1406, § 25; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 240, § 41; Ga. L. 2003, p. 517, § 47; Ga. L. 2005, p. 253, § 58/HB 244; Ga. L. 2010, p. 914, § 22/HB 540; Ga. L. 2012, p. 995, § 31/SB 92.