§ 14. Voter registration.
Be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the clerk of said city, on the last Monday in October of each election year, to open the registration books for the registration of the qualified voters of said city. Said books shall be kept open to the public during the legal hours for registering each and every day which said hours shall be from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (Sunday and legal holidays excepted) until ten days prior to the date of the election on which day at 2:00 p.m. said books shall be finally and absolutely closed. The qualification date for candidates for the offices of mayor and councilmen shall open on the same date the registration of voters opens and shall close thirteen days prior to the date of the election at 12:00 noon on such date. It shall be the duty of the clerk, upon application in person and not by proxy of any citizen who is qualified to vote for the members of the General Assembly and who upon the day of the election, is then a resident, will then have resided in said city six months prior thereto, to allow such persons to register his or her name in said book of registration, and shall in every case, before allowing the applicant to register, administer to him or her the following oath: "You do solemnly swear that you are a citizen of the United States, that you have resided in the City of Cumming for six months next preceding this registration, or that by the date of the next election held in and for said city, if then a resident, you will have done so; that you are 18 years of age, or will be so prior to said day of election, so help you God."
It shall be the duty of the clerk of said city to prepare two lists of names of the voters registered in alphabetical order, after the same have been purged as herein provided, and furnish the same to the managers of the election, under his official signature and seal of office, at or before the polls are opened. The managers shall keep said list before them during the election, and shall permit no one to vote in said election whose name does not appear thereon; provided, however, that at all times after such registration has commenced said registration list and names shall be open to public inspection during all hours of registration.
For any special election in said city for any purpose, the clerk shall open the registration books at least thirty days before the date fixed for such election, and shall close the same five days before the day of election, and shall prepare and furnish the registration lists as hereinbefore provided.
Notice of the opening of the registration books for all elections shall be given in such manner as the mayor and councilmen shall prescribe, at least twenty days before the closing thereof, notice of said opening of said registration books shall be published in the official gazette of said city at least once a week during period of such registration as herein provided.
Should the name of any person qualified to vote in any election, and who registered therefor with the clerk in due form and time, be accidentally omitted from the registration lists furnished the managers of said election, the clerk of said city may certify under his official signature and seal to such accidental omission to place such name on said list and that said person was duly and legally registered in due time and form before the registration book was closed; and thereupon, by filing said certificate with the managers of the election such person shall be allowed to vote.
Any person voting in any election held in said city, who is not qualified to vote therein under the provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as prescribed by the laws of this state for illegal voting.
Within one day following the closing of said registration books as herein provided, said council of the City of Cumming shall select and appoint three freeholders of said city who shall examine, revise and purge the registration lists as made up and returned by the clerk of said city, of all illegally registered voters or persons disqualified from voting for any lawful reason; provided, that before removing any name therefrom, written notice shall be served on the person or persons deemed disqualified at least three days prior to the date of such election, that such persons may show cause, if any, why such action should not be taken.
(1953 Ga. Laws (Jan.—Feb. Sess.) (Act No. 411), page 3001, § 2; 1953 Ga. Laws (Act No. 230), page 2606, § 1; 1971 Ga. Laws (Act No. 756), page 3963, § 2)