Candidate Information

Qualifying for Office

Secretary of State Qualifying Packet

The Secretary of State has posted its Qualifying Packet for candidates wishing to qualify for U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative, or State office.

Requirements for Qualifying

Various offices have different requirements for those who wish to run. It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine what the qualifications are, and that they are met. For more information, visit Georgia’s Secretary of State’s website.

Qualifying Information

Qualifying has ended for the upcoming Municipal Election.


Candidate Forms

All local county candidates and county elected officials are required to file reports pertaining to their personal and campaign finances directly with the Oconee County Elections Office. All State officeholders must file directly with the State Ethics Commission. All filings are public record. Campaign Finance filings submitted by elected officials/candidates to the Oconee County Elections Office may be requested through an Open Records Request.  All local municipal candidates and municipal elected officials are required to file the same reports, but they must file with their City or Town Clerk and any open records requests must be submitted to the municipality.

Campaign Committee:

If you have a campaign committee, it needs to register directly with the Commission. (Form RC). Even though the form on their website says, to mail or hand-deliver, they have changed the requirements, and it must be filed electronically.

There are several different required filings, which are subject to filing schedules, deadlines, grace periods, and fines per the Commission.  Filings need to begin prior to the acceptance, or spending of campaign monies and continue until the final filing conditions are met, and the final termination report has been filed.

For filing and training schedules, or answers to any questions that a candidate or elected official may have, please refer to the State Ethics Commission.

The State Ethics Commission - contact information:

200 Piedmont Avenue, SE
Suite 1416 – West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
Email: gaethics@ethics.ga.gov and Website: https://ethics.ga.gov/
Phone: (404) 463-1980 and Fax: (404) 463-1988

Campaigning

Accepting Campaign Donations

Before accepting donations or expending any money for your campaign, you must file a form DOI (Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions) with the appropriate filing officer for your office. Many laws regulating the acceptance of campaign contributions are governed by the State Ethics Commission. Please visit their website before accepting any donations.

List of Registered Voters

For information about ordering lists of registered voters in your district please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Campaign Signs

O.C.G.A. § 16-7-58(a) prohibits you from erecting signs on public or private property if you do not have permission to do so. 

  1. It shall be unlawful for any person to place posters, signs, or advertisements:
    1. On any public property or building, unless the owner thereof or the occupier as authorized by such owner has given permission to place such posters, signs, or advertisements on such property; provided, however, that signs within the rights of way of public roads shall be governed by Code Section 32-6-51;
    2. On any private property unless the owner thereof or the occupier as authorized by such owner has given permission to place such posters, signs, or advertisements on such property; and, provided, further that no municipal, county, or consolidated government may restrict by regulation or other means the length of time a political campaign sign may be displayed or the number of signs which may be displayed on private property for which permission has been granted; or
    3. On any property zoned for commercial or industrial uses if the placement of such posters, signs, or advertisements conflicts with any zoning laws or ordinances.

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

  1. No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person solicit signatures for any petition, nor shall any person, other than election officials discharging their duties, establish or set up any tables or booths 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.

Request a Voter List

Voter Registration Lists

By law, voter registration lists are available to the public and contain the following information: voter name, residential address, mailing address if different, race, gender, registration date, and last voting date. Pricing is set by the Secretary of State’s Office. Such data may not be used by any person for commercial purposes. (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-225 (c))

Order Voter Registration Lists and Files

For information about ordering lists of registered voters in your district please visit the Secretary of State’s Website.