Kemp signs bill to ban outside election cash in Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia has banned local governments from accepting any funding for elections from outside groups, after Gov. Brian Kemp signed the measure on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 222, which threatens local officials who violate the law with felony charges, still allows contributions to the state or federal government. It took effect upon Kemp's signature

A 2021 Georgia law made it illegal for election officials themselves to accept outside money. But it was widely understood in 2021 that Georgia counties could still take money from outside groups and pass it to election administrators.

Earlier this year, DeKalb County accepted $2 million from the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence  to seek improvements and share best practices. The alliance includes the Center for Tech and Civic Life, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s main funding vehicle from 2020.

The bill signed by Kemp closes that loophole in the 2021 law.