Section 21-2-379.25 - Programming for ballot design and style; verification; appointment of custodians; role of custodians; testing of electronic ballot marker; public notice of testing(a) The superintendent of each county or municipality shall cause the proper ballot design and style to be programmed for each electronic ballot marker which is to be used in any precinct within such county or municipality, shall cause each such device to be placed in proper order for voting, and shall examine each device before it is sent to a polling place for use in a primary or election, to verify that each device is properly recording votes and producing proper ballots.(b) The superintendent may appoint, with the approval of the county or municipal governing authority, as appropriate, a custodian of the electronic ballot markers, and deputy custodians as may be necessary, whose duty shall be to prepare the devices to be used in the county or municipality at the primaries and elections to be held therein. Each custodian and deputy custodian shall receive from the county or municipality such compensation as shall be fixed by the governing authority of such county or municipality. Such custodian shall, under the direction of the superintendent, have charge of and represent the superintendent during the preparation of the devices as required by this chapter. The custodian and deputy custodians shall serve at the pleasure of the superintendent and each shall take an oath of office prepared by the Secretary of State before each primary or election, which shall be filed with the superintendent.(c) On or before the third day preceding a primary or election, including special primaries, special elections, and referendum elections, the superintendent shall have each electronic ballot marker tested to ascertain that it will correctly record the votes cast for all offices and on all questions and produce a ballot reflecting such choices of the elector in a manner that the State Election Board shall prescribe by rule or regulation. Public notice of the time and place of the test shall be made at least five days prior thereto. The superintendent of each county or municipality shall publish such notice on the homepage of the county's or municipality's publicly accessible website associated with elections, if the county or municipality maintains a publicly accessible website, and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality and by posting in a prominent location in the county or municipality. Such notice shall state the date, time, and place or places where preparation and testing of the voting system components for use in the primary or election will commence, that such preparation and testing shall continue from day to day until complete, and that representatives of political parties and bodies, news media, and the public shall be permitted to observe such tests. The superintendent of the county or municipality shall also provide such notice to the Secretary of State who shall publish on his or her website the information received from superintendents stating the dates, times, and locations for preparation and testing of voting system components. However, such representatives of political parties and bodies, news media, and the public shall not in any manner interfere with the preparation and testing of voting system components. The advertisement in the newspaper of general circulation shall be prominently displayed, shall not be less than 30 square inches, and shall not be placed in the section of the newspaper where legal notices appear.Amended by 2021 Ga. Laws 9,§ 24, eff. 3/25/2021.Added by 2019 Ga. Laws 24,§ 26, eff. 4/2/2019.