March 31, 2023
We have three important updates for you— (1) Passage of SB222 and Closing the Zuckerbuck$ Loophole (2) Congressional Districts 4 and 5 Conventions will be held on April 22 and Registration information and (3) DGOP Convention Training on April 2- “Preparing for What to Expect at Conventions”.
Thank you to the General Assembly for passing SB222 and closing the ZUCKERBUCK$ Loophole in Georgia’s Elections. This law ensures that Georgia’s Elections have:
- Lawful Appropriation of Public Funds: No superintendent, county, or municipality shall solicit, take or accept any funding, grants, or gifts for purposes of administering Georgia’s elections from any source other than the State of Georgia, or the federal government.
- Criminal Felony: Violation of this Code section shall constitute a felony, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year and by a fine of not less than $10,000.
- Fiscal Responsibility & Accountability: Requires that the board of registrars of each county shall prepare on an annual basis an itemized elections budget.
Funds and Empowers the State Board of Elections: The Election Board shall be a distinct budget unit and an independent state agency attached to the office of the Secretary of State for administrative purposes only and inclusive of an Executive Director.
A special shout out goes to Lt. Governor Burt Jones for promises made and kept in advocating for election integrity in Georgia. Much gratitude and admiration is extended to Senator Max Burns (R-Sylvania) for his tireless efforts in fighting for election integrity and championing SB222 at warp speed! Senator Shawn Still (R-SD48) and Representatives Rey Martinez (R-H111) and Scott Hilton (R-HD48) were essential partners as we navigated the legislative process in the Georgia House. President Ronald Reagan said, “It can be done.” Those words inspired us when DeKalb became ground zero for Zuckerbucks and all Georgians faced a threat from Democrats and their progressive allies as they secretly planned to funnel private money to influence and buy our elections. DeKalb County was ground zero.
It was just in late January when I learned that the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections office had received a grant of $2 Million from Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)’s U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, which was funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. I knew that we needed to act fast as the Georgia Senate was working on reforms to Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021 (SB202). I have always found that collaborating is always the best approach for success – especially when there is a unified purpose. Many pathways were pursued and through the building of a coalition of activist citizens, DeKalb GOP Members, elected officials as well as local and national election integrity groups. We united Republicans through a common cause of ensuring FITness – Faith, Integrity and Trust in our elections and were instrumental to the final passage of SB222!
Thank you for all you do! We are making a difference.
Marci McCarthy
Chairman, DeKalb County Republican Party
GAGOP First Vice Chairman Candidate