Governor Signs Bills Increasing Ability of Georgia's Military and Overseas Voters to Cast Ballots

Governor Sonny Perdue singed (June 2) into law two bills, House Bill 665 and House Bill 1073, which increases the opportunity for Georgia’s military members and other overseas voters to participate in state elections.

Governor Perdue and Secretary Kemp were joined by HQ Command Coordinator Otis Womack, Maj. Helen Duggan, Sfc. Michael Cornelius, Sgt. Irvin Balfour, Sr., Spc. Roger Hillegas and Capt. Nicholas Williams from Fort McPherson; State Representatives Mark Hamilton, John Meadows, and Bob Bryant; State Senators Jim Butterworth and John Douglas.

“As I’ve had the privilege to visit with some of our troops stationed overseas, they always remind me that it’s the little things about home they miss the most. The things that we sometimes, frankly, take for granted,” Governor Perdue said. “It’s so important to protect one of the most unique and cherished privileges of our great democracy.  It is a right that was won and is supported daily by our men and women in uniform.”

Secretary Kemp added, “One ballot cast by a member of our military that is not counted due to slow mail service or a missed deadline is one too many. These bills increase Georgia’s commitment to our men and women in uniform, who fight to protect our Constitution and our freedoms, by providing them additional opportunities to vote and fully participate in our elections.”

House Bill 665 establishes a pilot voting project that allows overseas and military voters to cast their ballots and have them received by local election officials in time to be counted. One method is to establish kiosks where voters cast their ballot, and the ballot is transmitted to the Secretary of State’s office or the voter’s county via a secure online network. Currently, Georgia’s overseas and military voters may only submit their absentee ballots by mail.

HB 1073 strengthens Georgia’s compliance with the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act – or MOVE Act.

Among the features in this bill:

• Absentee ballots must be sent to overseas voters 45 days prior to a general primary or general election,

• Increased access to absentee ballots for an entire election cycle, and

• Allows absentee ballots to be emailed to military and overseas voters.

Brian Kemp was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
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DGA Welcomes Former Gov. Barnes to Georgia Race

/PRNewswire/ -- With the announcement that former Governor Roy Barnes is entering the race for Georgia governor, the Democratic Governors Association today adds the state to its growing list of potential pickup opportunities in 2010.

"Roy has the right vision to look forward, restore the values that Georgians grew up with and improve the lives of all Georgians throughout the state," said Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, Chairman of the DGA. "Roy has the knowledge and character to get rid of the special interest influence that's rampant at the Capitol and get the economy moving again. His campaign will strengthen a healthy Democratic field."

Barnes' entry into the race makes Georgia a high-level pickup opportunity, as recent polling shows him in a dead heat with and even overtaking the leading Republicans. In one recent poll, Barnes is leading both of the top two GOP contenders by 5 points. ["IA poll: Barnes could threaten the GOP streak," Atlanta Journal Constitution, March 20, 2009]

Electoral trends in Georgia also have been moving in Democrats' favor. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin forced Republican Saxby Chambliss into a runoff election, and President Obama came within 5 points of beating Sen. John McCain.

The national playing field continues to expand for Democrats in previously red territory. In the past month, Florida and Minnesota have also become top-tier pickup opportunities.

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Provisional Ballots Could Complicate Ga. Voting, Says Emory's Kang

Voting in Georgia may take the national spotlight this year because a close senate race will invite scrutiny of whose vote gets counted, says election law expert Michael Kang of Emory Law.

Voters who think they're registered but arrive at the polls to find their voting status questioned "must be allowed to vote, but may be forced to cast a provisional or challenged ballot that might not be counted in the end," says Kang. "In a close race like Tuesday's senate election, these questions loom larger and invite more attention as the candidates fight over every vote."

Other factors complicating the results could be extremely long lines of voters, overwhelmed poll workers, and administrative or clerical errors, all of which can complicate the election process in practice, he says.

"Provisional ballots offer opportunities for parties to contest the election because they are counted after regular ballots are cast," says Kang. "It's then up to the registrar to determine which provisional ballots get counted."

A related issue not unique to Georgia is registered voters whose eligibility is challenged. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 "requires states to coordinate voter records with their state driver's license records and the records of the Social Security Administration, but the law is a bit unclear about whether states should rely on mismatching data as a basis for disqualifying registered voters, particularly so close to the election," says Kang.

Last week a federal district court ruled that Georgia voters whose information doesn't match their DMV or SSA records might be required to cast a challenged ballot in Georgia. "A mismatch between state records doesn't mean those voters are necessarily ineligible," says Kang. "It may well be that most of these mismatches are the result of typographical errors."

But the fact that these votes would be evaluated for eligibility in a special review after the election "opens the opportunity for the loser to question the election result and whether certain provisional votes should have been counted."

Kang, whose research focuses on voting rights, race, redistricting, campaign finance and direct democracy, also holds a Ph.D. in government from Harvard University.

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Amendment Vote Linked to Georgia Environment

Georgia voters will make an important decision regarding forest land and the environment on Tuesday, November 4. Georgians will cast ballots on Amendment #1, the “Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008,” which asks voters whether the state Constitution should be amended to allow timberland taxation on the basis of its actual value as a forest, rather than its potential or speculative future use.

“As land values have increased, property taxes have risen to the point where many landowners are forced to decide whether it makes economic sense to keep their land in forests or sell it for development,” explained Lauren Bush, Public Affairs Staff Forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission. “Amendment #1 encourages landowners to keep their land in forests rather than sell it to developers.”

Georgia boasts approximately 24 million acres of forest land, 92% of which is privately owned. The forest industry contributes $28.5 billion to our state’s economy, and provides invaluable nature services to Georgia, including clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of the state’s forest resources.

“Forest management is a long-term commitment for landowners,” said Bush. “They may not receive a return on their investment for 20 or more years, but their property taxes are due every year. Amendment #1 can help encourage property owners to keep their land in forests, which enhance the life of every Georgian.”

To receive the forest value assessment, Amendment #1 requires forest land owners to leave their land in tree production for at least 15 years. If a county’s total tax digest of revenue is reduced by more than three percent, the money will be reimbursed by the State of Georgia. If it is affected by three percent or less, the county will be reimbursed 50%.

If ratified by Georgia voters on the November 4 General Election ballot, the Forest Land Protection Act will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

For more information, visit GaTrees.org, www.forourforests.com or www.keepgeorgiagreen.org.

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European, Arabic Media United in Intense Interest in U.S. Election

Cherribi, former member of the Dutch Parliament and head of the Emory Development Institute, has been busy the last several weeks giving interviews on Al Jazeera as well as media outlets throughout the Middle East and Europe. One thing he says that European and Arabic media outlets have in common is their intense interest in the Nov. 4 presidential election.

"They talk in a very stigmatizing and negative way about the current administration,” says Cherribi, who, as a fluent speaker of French, Dutch, English and Arabic, has been an in-demand interview. Cherribi says he's seen the transatlantic divide between Europe and America grow in recent years and notes, "European-American relations has to be high on the political agenda of anyone who is elected."

Although Cherribi was not surprised by results of the recent Gallup poll in 70 countries showing Barak Obama favored 4 to 1 over John McCain, he notes that Obama has not been above criticism overseas. "A lot of people were favoring an Obama-Hillary Clinton ticket and were disappointed," he says.

Nor has reaction to a possible McCain presidency been totally negative. "People recognize that McCain was a war hero; he is a good man; he was against bad policies of the administration," says Cherribi. But McCain's choice of Sarah Palin on the ticket did not go over well. "The interpretation was that McCain wants to reach out to the far right."

Whatever the outcome of the election, says Cherribi, the next president must send a message that a new day is dawning in American relations abroad. "Europe knows that it's an economic superpower, but when it comes to defense, Europe and the Arab world are regional powers," says Cherribi. "Europe knows it cannot function without an adequate American defense program. Europe and the rest of the world are looking to America for leadership."

Cherribi was a member of Parliament (MP) in The Netherlands from 1994-2002, representing his hometown of Amsterdam. As a Dutch MP he served as a member of the Council of Europe (an assembly focused primarily on human rights), the West European Union (focused on defense and security) and twice served as a member of the Dutch delegation to the United Nations.

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Isakson, Chambliss: Obama’s Comments Reflect Fundamental Lack of Understanding of Tri-State Water Issues

Call Favoritism of Florida's Needs ‘A Clear Affront to the Residents of Georgia’

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., expressing their disappointment with comments he made on Oct. 16, 2008, regarding water allocation issues in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basins.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Senator Obama:

We are writing to express our disappointment with comments made yesterday by you and your campaign relating to water allocation issues in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River basins. As you may know, these river basins serve Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. While we appreciate your recent and sudden interest in the tri-state water issues we have been working on for the past six years, the comments by you and your campaign reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of the nature of the problems in the ACF and ACT basins, a lack of understanding of the requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers with regards to the ACF and ACT basins under federal law, and a cavalier disregard for the needs of the residents of Georgia.

According to your campaign’s statement, you “would direct the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study to assess the water availability, supply options, and demand-management alternatives that factor into ACF River System usage, as well as the impact of freshwater flow on the ecology of the Apalachicola River and Bay.” You also said “As President, I will make protecting Florida’s water resources a priority.”

As you may know, the Army Corps of Engineers is required under federal law to update the water control manuals for the ACF and ACT basins, and recently announced it would begin doing so in the ACT basin. We were pleased to hear from Secretary of the Army Pete Geren personally that the Corps is moving forward with updating these manuals, because it will allow the Corps to make smarter decisions in their management of these river systems. We have underscored to him how important this action is. As you also may know such an update would include studies to assess water supply and demand, and environmental management practices for ALL the users and stakeholder in the basins, not just those on the Apalachicola River and Bay. To ask the Corps to ignore its responsibilities under federal law in favor of the residents of Florida is a clear affront to the residents of Georgia. To state that you will make protecting Florida’s water resources a priority over Georgia’s shows that you do not care about the needs of the people of Georgia.

We have continually worked to get Georgia, Florida and Alabama together and to force the Corp of Engineers to update a 20-year-old Water Control Plan for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basins. In 2006 we held Senate hearings in Gainesville and Columbus to implore the Corps to keep its commitment to update its outdated water control plan for the two river basins.

On August 1, 2007, we met with Secretary Geren as well as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works John Paul Woodley, Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp and General Counsel Craig Schmauder. At the meeting, Secretary Geren indicated his desire to give mediation time to work before starting the update of the water control manuals.

When Secretary Geren gave his commitment to us that if and when mediation broke down and was not making progress, he would begin the update of the water control manuals, we held him to that promise. On September 28, 2007, after judges involved in the mediation announced that the talks had broken down, we sent a letter to Secretary Geren strongly urging him to honor his pledge to update the water control plan.

On October 18, 2007, Secretary Woodley told both of us by telephone that the Corps will start the process for updating the water control manual for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin.

We also facilitated meetings in Washington between the Governors of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, as well as meetings between the Governors and the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, and Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Jim Connaughton. We continue to work with the Governors and their staffs to come to a solution so the states can take advantage of the productive talks they have had and agree on a resolution.

From Lake Lanier to Lake Allatoona, from Atlanta to West Point Lake, and from LaGrange to Columbus, we have worked to find a solution that benefits not only the people of our state, but all those who reside in the river basins. It is unfortunate that you wish to undo the good work we have done to find a solution for all the people in the river basin and instead prioritize the needs of only the people of Florida.

Sincerely,
Saxby Chambliss Johnny Isakson
United States Senator United States Senator

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel Responds to Activist Lawsuit (to prevent verification of voter eligibility)

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed in the United States District Court to prevent the Secretary of State from verifying the eligibility of voter registration applicants:

“On the same day that activist organizations filed a lawsuit in Georgia to prevent our state from verifying the eligibility of applicants to register and vote in our November 4 General Election, a federal judge has ruled that the Ohio Secretary of State must follow federal law and implement the exact same verification procedures.

“In fact, U.S. District Judge George C. Smith of Ohio stated, “It is hard to imagine a public interest more compelling than safeguarding the legitimacy of the election of the president of the United States.”

“The lawsuit filed in Georgia appears to be an orchestrated and well organized effort to dismantle our state’s identification laws and verification process. The safeguards we have in place help to ensure that only those applicants and voters who meet all eligibility factors are permitted to cast a ballot in our elections. Unfortunately, the organizations appear to want to open the door to allow non-citizens to register and vote in the General Election. If the plaintiff prevails, thousands of non-citizens in Georgia could be allowed to vote.

“The Georgia Secretary of State’s office and Georgia’s county registrars and election officials have an obligation to ensure that only U.S. citizens and Georgians who meet all the eligibility factors are allowed to register and vote. The process to verify an applicants’ eligibility to register and vote is required by federal law, and we have followed the law.

“Georgia’s county election officials still have over 100,000 voter registration applications to process. My office will continue its close work with our state’s county election officials to ensure that all applications are processed and verified, and that all preparations are in place for Election Day.

“I have a sworn duty to protect the integrity and security of our state’s elections, and will fight any attempt to breach Georgians’ trust in our electoral process.”


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Political Science Experiments Show Media Corrections Could Backfire

With less than a month to go before the November election, voters are weighing the information they’ve received about the candidates in preparation for the voting booth. But what happens when the information they’ve been given is wrong?

Jason Reifler, an assistant professor of political science at Georgia State, set out to examine the effects of political misinformation and attempts to correct that information on the public. They gave news articles that contained slightly misleading information to a group of volunteers. Half of that group then received corrections to the misleading information. The results were surprising.

“We started this research actually trying to figure out what strategies would best enable the media or other sources to be able to try and correct misperceptions that people hold,” Reifler said. “And what we found instead was that giving people a slightly misleading statement as part of a newspaper article and then giving some people corrections, that some people actually ended up believing the thing that was wrong even more fervently after being given the correction.”

Given their findings, Reifler and research partner Brendan Nyhan of Duke University will now shift their focus to examine why media corrections don’t work and what can be done to make corrections more effective. One possible explanation is that voters feel their sense of self is being threatened when they receive information that runs counter to their beliefs.

“We’re looking at interventions that increase people’s self-esteem or sense of self, and that if you reinforce those, are people therefore more open to counterattitudinal information?” Reifler said. “The long-term hope is that we’ll actually be able to give strategies to the media, to politicians, so that we’re able to have a better political debate.”

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News to Use in Fayetteville, Atlanta, Savannah, Peachtree City and all of Georgia

November Ballot Amendment Promoting Redevelopment Receives Major Endorsement

PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorsed Amendment 2, which will appear on the November 4 statewide ballot.

Amendment 2 allows school boards to participate in Tax Allocation Districts, or TADs, an important redevelopment financing tool used by more than 50 communities across Georgia. TADs help revitalize blighted neighborhoods and abandoned industrial sites, turning them into thriving residential and commercial districts that generate more revenue for cities, counties and schools.

The Amendment 2 text that will appear on the November 4 statewide ballot:

To authorize local school districts to use tax funds for community redevelopment purposes.

"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize community redevelopment and authorize counties, municipalities and local boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment and programs?"

If approved Amendment 2 restores to school systems the power, if they so choose, to help their communities grow. This is a power school systems in Georgia have enjoyed for more than two decades, and that school systems in 46 other states enjoy as well. But earlier this year, a state Supreme Court decision took away that power. Amendment 2 puts that local control back in their hands.

As appeared in the October 1 issue of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"This amendment does not authorize specific TAD-financed projects anywhere in Georgia. It merely allows school property taxes -- which account for about two-thirds of all local property taxes -- to become a part of the mix. Local school boards would retain the authority to say "no" to the use of school taxes or to negotiate specific terms in order to approve a TAD. That's important because some of the projects promoted for TADs in recent years are too risky, especially in a depressed housing market. Local government officials, including school boards, should scrutinize these requests closely before approving them, demanding to know why the developers can't get conventional market financing or why local governments won't issue general revenue bonds to get them off the ground.

Tax allocation districts can be a useful financing tool for well-conceived projects that might not otherwise be affordable. But they also should be used sparingly. This amendment will allow communities to keep them in their redevelopment tool box. Vote YES."

"For years, TADs have been used to revitalize blighted neighborhoods and bring residents and businesses back to communities across Georgia," said George Israel, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. "They are a proven redevelopment tool for cities and counties, and they generate millions of dollars for local school systems. We support the TAD amendment and all three amendments on the November ballot. This is a critical time for our economy -- and these initiatives mean thousands of new jobs for Georgians everywhere."

Georgians for Community Redevelopment is a nonprofit organization devoted to educating Georgians about the opportunities of Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) and promoting the passage of Amendment 2 on the November 2008 ballot. For more information on Amendment 2, please visit the website http://georgiatad.org/.

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Usher Raymond's National 'I Can't But You Can' Voter Registration Campaign

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year, in an effort to mobilize voters in this historic presidential election, Usher launched the "I Can't But You Can" voter registration campaign geared towards youth ages 17 and under. This nationwide campaign began this summer in Atlanta with 350 youth registering nearly 1,000 new voters. The Campaign will be expanded to 8 cities simultaneously on September 27th and is projected to educate more than 4,000 youth and register 17,000 new voters nationally.

In conjunction with ServiceNation's Day of Action (www.servicenation.org), the "I Can't But You Can" Campaign will host voter registration rallies and drives in cities across the US on September 27th. Participating cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City (KS), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, New Orleans and Oakland. At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the USC Marching Band will perform, MTV's Quddus will serve as Emcee for the Voter Registration Rally while KIIS-FM's DJ Drew will get the crowd pumping. All across the nation, we're engaging youth to make certain their voices are heard on Election Day!

"This is such a historic election that I wanted to find a way to give youth 17 and under a voice," says Usher. "I wanted young people to understand, that this election does impact their life. It affects the type of education they receive, if they'll receive healthcare when they're sick and if they'll have help getting into college."

As Youth Chair of ServiceNation, Usher recently hosted 100 Exceptional Young Leaders from across the country for a forum on the importance of Service and Leadership at the ServiceNation Summit in New York City. At this bi-partisan summit, Usher announced his Day of Action Contest to encourage youth to engage in service and reward their participation in the Day of Action.

Usher's Day of Action Contest

As part of SerivceNation's Day of Action, youth who can inspire 100 hours of service during ServiceNation's Sept 27 Day Of Action (i.e. 20 people doing 5 hours each, or 50 people doing 2 hours each) AND can get 100 signatures on ServiceNation's Declaration of Service, are eligible for the drawing. There will be two lucky winners who receive airfare for two, hotel for two nights and two VIP tickets to Usher's Washington, DC Concert on November 4 (National Election Day!) Visit www.servicenation.org for more details.

We'd like to acknowledge Russell Athletic as our Lead Sponsor for the "I Can't But You Can" National Voter Registration Campaign.

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Election Forecast Predicts Obama in November

Abramowitz is a nationally known expert on national politics and elections and the author of "Voice of the People: Elections and Voting in the United States." His expertise includes election forecasting models, party realignment in the United States, congressional elections and the effects of political campaigns on the electorate.

Emory University political scientist and polling expert Alan Abramowitz has crunched the numbers for his presidential election forecast and has found in the data a potentially decisive win for the Democrats. His "time for change" model predicts that Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama will win the majority of the national major party popular vote: 54.3 percent vs. 45.7 percent for Sen. John McCain.

A popular vote margin of this magnitude would almost certainly translate into an overwhelming majority in the Electoral College, Abramowitz says. His forecast has correctly predicted the popular vote winner within two percentage points or less in every presidential election since 1988.

Three key factors form forecast

The state of the economy, presidential approval ratings and the number of terms a party has been in power are the three key factors Abramowitz uses in his "time for change" forecasting model.

"While factors outside of the model, such as rising partisan polarization and resistance to an African-American candidate by some white voters may result in a somewhat smaller popular vote margin for the Democratic nominee, the combination of an unpopular Republican incumbent in the White House, a weak economy, and a second-term election make a Democratic victory in November all but certain," writes Abramowitz in the forthcoming October issue of "PS: Political Science and Politics."

"The good news for Democrats is that 2008, unlike 2004, is a time-for-change election -- one in which the president's party has controlled the White House for two or more terms," Abramowitz says. Based on the assumption that a presidential election is fundamentally a referendum on the performance of the incumbent, the model factors in:

The presidential approval rating in the final Gallup Poll in June (which ran 33% for President Bush);
The change in real gross domestic product during the second quarter of the election year; and
A variable based on whether the president’s party has controlled the White House for only one term or longer.

Power hard to hold after multiple terms

"Economic conditions have a substantial impact on the outcomes of presidential elections. For every additional one percentage point of real annual GDP growth during the second quarter, the candidate of the president's party can expect to receive an additional 0.6 percent of the vote. Thus, the difference between running with a stagnant economy and running with a booming economy is substantial," Abramowitz explains in his paper.

The final variable, the time-for-change factor, plays a critical role in the model.

"A candidate from the president’s party running in a second- or later-term election suffers a penalty of more than 4 percentage points compared with a candidate running in a first-term election… Regardless of the popularity of the president or the state of the economy, it is simply much more difficult for the president’s party to retain its hold on the White House," Abramowitz says.

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Georgia

PRNewswire-USNewswire -- The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, July 15, 2008, it will monitor elections in the Georgia counties of Coffee, Dougherty and Long to ensure compliance with federal voting rights statutes.

In 2006, the Justice Department and Long County settled a lawsuit regarding violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, charged the county with abridging the rights of Hispanic voters. The county allegedly required numerous challenged Hispanic voters to prove their eligibility, even though the county was aware that the challenges were not supported by any evidence. The complaint further alleged that the county imposed separate and distinct procedures for challenged Hispanic voters than for challenged non-Hispanic voters.

The consent decree, which was approved by the federal court in 2006, requires the county to adopt practices that will ensure future compliance with and remedy past violations of federal law. Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Long County during the upcoming election.

In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Coffee and Dougherty Counties. Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. In calendar year 2006, for example, 966 federal observers and 575 Department personnel were sent to monitor 119 elections in 81 jurisdictions in 24 states.

Secretary of State Karen Handel Certifies State House District 93 Special Election Run-off

Secretary of State Karen Handel today certified the election results for the June 10, 2008 special election run-off in State House District 93.

Georgia House District 93 (100% of precincts reporting)

Votes Percentage
Dee Dawkins-Haigler
297 54.3%

Malik Douglas
250 45.7%

Total
547


Secretary Handel transmitted the certified results of the election to the Governor’s Office and the House Clerk. Ms. Dawkins-Haigler’s commission, ID card, and an election certificate were also included in the transmission.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.