Sign Ordinance
All candidates should be aware of and adhere to the City of Port Wentworth Sign Ordinance, as well as the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) Title 32 which details sign placement in public right of ways. Other restrictions regarding campaign activities are listed in the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) Title 21, also published as the Georgia Election Code and Rules of the State Election Board.
Campaign Committee Registration
If you have designated someone to file your reports or if anyone is collecting or expending your contributions, you must have a campaign committee. Therefore, a Registration Form For A Candidates Campaign Committee (Form RC) MUST BE FILED BY THE CANDIDATE DIRECTLY WITH THE GGTCFC.
The term “campaign committee” as it relates to the candidate means the candidate, person(s) or committee which accepts contributions or makes expenditures for the purpose of bringing about the nomination or election of an individual to any elected office. If a candidate has a campaign committee, the name and address of the committee, its chairperson, treasurer and the candidate must be registered with the Georgia Government Transparency Campaign Finance Commission (GGTCFC) PRIOR to accepting any contributions.
Campaign Committee Rules
- One person may serve as both chairperson and treasurer.
- No contributions may be accepted at any time there is a vacancy in either the position of chairperson or treasurer.
- No candidate may have more than one campaign committee.
- Registration Form (Form RC) for a Candidate’s Campaign Committee is filed with the Commission.
When a candidate is elected to office, the candidate’s campaign committee registration will remain in effect as long as the candidate remains in office until and unless the registration is canceled by the campaign committee or the candidate. Any substantive changes to registration information of a committee must be updated with the Commission within seven (7) business days.Georgia Election Code, O.C.G.A. §§ 21-5-3(2) and 21-5-30(b)
Campaign Contributions Record Keeping
Pursuant to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2016, all candidates and/or campaign committees must maintain detailed records of all contributions received and expenditures made. Records must be maintained by the candidate or treasurer of a campaign committee and may be inspected by the Commission at any time. The right of inspection may be enforced by the Commission or by the Superior Court of the State of Georgia. Records of the accounts kept by a candidate or candidate’s committee are required to be preserved for three (3) years from the termination date of the candidate’s campaign. However, since public disclosures are maintained for not less than five (5) years, candidates are encouraged to keep records for at least five (5) years.
Contributions of money received by the candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee must be promptly deposited in a separate campaign depository account (separate from the personal banking account of the candidate) opened and maintained for this purpose. The account may be an interest-bearing account and any interest earned will be deemed a contribution to the campaign committee; interest earned is not payable to the candidate as personal funds. Georgia Election Code, O.C.G.A. § 21-5-32
Visit www.ethics.ga.gov to learn more about campaign contributions.