Elections

TOWN OF BRASELTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION INFORMATION:

Town of Braselton 2009 Voting District Map
2009 Sample Ballots

TOWN OF BRASELTON PUBLIC NOTICE CALL FOR ELECTION & NOTICE OF QUALIFYING

Please be advised that on November 3, 2009, a general municipal election will be held in the Town of Braselton, Georgia, at which time there will be submitted to the qualified voters of said Town for their determination the successors for the expired terms of Mayor, Council Member, District 2, and Council Member, District 4.

Those interested in qualifying for said offices should be advised that the respective qualification period shall run from Monday, August 31, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. through Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall, located at 4982 Highway 53. Qualification will close at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. Individuals intending to qualify shall remit the sum of $156 for Mayor and $36.00 for Council. All forms required to be filed by a candidate are available for download at http://www.ethics.state.ga.us/references/publications.aspx.

A run-off election, if necessary, shall be held on December 1, 2009.

The last day to register to vote in this election is October 5, 2009. To find out if you are registered to vote, please go to http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/Locator.asp

Voting Information:

The Town of Braselton’s Municipal elections are held every two years in odd numbered years at the Braselton Police & Municipal Court Facility. The Braselton Police & Municipal Court Facility is located at 5040 Highway 53, next door to the Town Hall in Braselton.
 

Absentee / Advance Voting:

The Application for Official Absentee/Advance Ballot is a FILLABLE form available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader (available free of charge from Adobe) installed on your computer in order to view, fill, or print this form. Click here for more information.

Click http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/elections/voter_information/absentee_ballot_app.pdf to download the form. The absentee ballot application was recently updated and is now two pages - please make certain both pages are printed to ensure timely processing.

Mail, fax, or present the form in person to your Town Clerk’s Office at PO Box 306, 4982 Highway 53, Braselton GA 30517, fax: 706-654-3033.
 

About our Government:

The Town of Braselton government consists of a Mayor and five Council Members. The term of office is four years. The elections are staggered every two years.

The Braselton election type is majority and the candidate needs 50% plus one vote to win. You must declare which district you are running for when you qualify as a candidate.

The Mayor and Districts 2 and 4 have terms that began in 2010 and ending in 2013. Districts 1 and 3 have terms beginning in 2008 and ending in 2011.
 

Ethics in Government Act:

The Ethics in Government Act requires candidates and officers to keep clear records of all contributions in cash or by other sources as well as all distributions or expenditures. Anonymous donations are prohibited. Funds received from unknown sources must be turned in to the State. Records are to be kept for three (3) years and be them available for inspection upon request. Please refer to the Ethics in Government Act for additional information or questions pertaining to the "Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report" and Financial Disclosure Statements (O.C.G.A. Title 21)

Campaign Contributions
The Ethics In Government Act As It Applies To Candidates and Public Officers states anyone who is not already a public officer and who plans to run for public office must file a Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions card BEFORE accepting such contributions. No such declaration is required of persons who are already public officers and who plan to run for public office again.

Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports
Filing Date Information for candidates, candidate's campaign committees, organizations or person other than Candidates' committees:

CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE REPORT FILING SCHEDULE (Election Year)

YEAR	REPORT NAME	GRACE PERIOD END DATE	$25 LATE FEE	ADDITIONAL $50 LATE FEE
2009	March 31st - Election Year	4/7/2009	4/8/2009-4/14/2009	4/15/2009
2009	June 30th - Election Year	7/7/2009	7/8/2009-7/14/2009	7/15/2009
2009	September 30th - Election Year	10/7/2009	10/8/2009-10/14/2009	10/15/2009
2009	October 25th - Election Year	10/30/2009	10/31/2009-11/8/2009	11/9/2009
2009	December 31st - Election Year	1/8/2010	1/9/2010-1/14/2010	1/15/2009

CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE REPORT FILING SCHEDULE (Non-Election Year)

NOTES

• Persons elected to office in each year following the year in which the election occurs
• Contributions of $1,000 or more, if received between the last report due before an election and the election must be reported within two business days of receipt.
• Persons leaving office with excess funds until such funds are expended as provided in the Act
• Unsuccessful candidates with excess funds, or who receive contributions to retire debt incurred, until such funds are expended, or such unpaid debts are satisfied December 31 filing only)

Personal Financial Disclosure Schedule

Candidate for Public Office: A Financial Disclosure Statement covering the period of the preceding calendar year shall be filed no later than the fifteenth day following the date of qualifying as a candidate. Candidates for state wide office file not later than seven days after qualifying for office. Only one Financial Disclosure Statement is required per calendar year.

Please refer to the Ethics in Government Act for additional information or questions pertaining to the "Financial Disclosure Statements". (O.C.G.A. Title 21)

Campaigning

The O.C.G.A. Section 21-2-414 states no person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute any campaign literature, newspaper, booklet, pamphlet, card, sign, or any other written or printed matter of any kind, nor shall any person conduct any exit poll or public opinion poll with voters on any ... election date: The provisions prohibit such conduct:

1.  Within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established.
2.  Within any polling place; and
3.  Within 25 feet of any voter standing in line at such polling place.

Penalty

The Ethics in Government Act provides that any person who knowingly fails to comply with, or who knowingly violates the provisions of the ACT shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

To Qualify for Candidacy:

To be eligible for office you must be 18 years old, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the Town of Braselton, residing within the Town at least 180 days prior to the date of qualifying.

You must file a Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit at the Town Clerk's office. The qualifying fee for Mayor is $156 and is $36.00 for Council Members. All forms required to be filed by a candidate are available for download at http://www.ethics.state.ga.us/references/publications.aspx.

Download the Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit form

If you are planning to run for office and accept campaign funds, please see the Town Clerk as there are forms to fill out before campaign funds are accepted. There are also Campaign Disclosure reports to fill out. These reports are required by the Ethics in Government Act of the State of Georgia. The State Ethics Commission can be reached at 770-920-4385 or the website is www.ethics.state.ga.us.

Candidates elected to office in the November election take office in the month of January of the following year. They will be sworn in at the first Council meeting of the year.
 

Registering to Vote:

You may register to vote at Town Hall, Braselton Library, Georgia State Driver's License offices and most government facilities. The same form is also used to change your address or name.
 

Contact Information:

Jennifer Dees, Braselton Town Manager and Clerk. You may contact the clerk by email jdees@braselton.net, or by calling 706-654-5720.

Candidates may go to the Secretary of State's website at http://www.sos.ga.gov/elections/candidates.htm for more information.

See Democracy in Action, Become a Poll Worker:

You can become an integral part of assisting the citizens of Braselton as well as providing a service to your community by becoming a poll worker. As a poll worker you would help fulfill the important process by which we Americans select our leaders and have a voice in government.
 

Poll Worker Qualifications:

You must be a U.S. Citizen, a resident of the county where you will be working, 16 years of age or over, able to read, write and speak the English language, and have no prior felony convictions for at least 10 years. A poll officer is not eligible to run for public office and cannot hold a public office, other than a political party office, while serving as a poll worker. A parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of a candidate cannot serve as a poll worker in any precinct where that candidate is listed on the ballot. All poll workers will be compensated for their services. All poll workers are required to attend training sessions. After successful completion, a certificate stating that you are qualified to work in an upcoming primary or election will be issued. To become a poll worker, please call Jennifer Dees for more information.
 

More Information:

Elections are monitored by the Secretary of State’s Office. They have a very informative website at http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/.