Governor Sonny Perdue was joined by Senator Cecil Staton (R-Macon) and Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel as he signed Senate Bill 40 and Senate Bill 194 into law.

The bills will go into effect July 1.

Authored by Sen. Staton, these two innovative bills affect Georgia's election laws as well as the date of the Presidential Preference Primary.

Senate Bill 40 will increase the penalties for several election-related offenses including:

.. Intimidation of voters. .. Influencing an elector while assisting him with voting.

.. Voting by an unqualified elector or giving false information.

.. Repeat voting in the same primary or election.

.. Absentee voting by an unqualified elector.

.. Fraud committed by poll workers.

These offenses will be felonies, with possible punishments of from one to 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $100,000.

Listed below are felonies that will be punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment and/or fines of up to $10,000:

.. The current misdemeanor offense of entry into a voting compartment or booth while an elector is casting his ballot.

.. Interfering with an elector.

.. Poll workers permitting unregistered or unqualified persons to vote.

In essence, Senate Bill 40 increases the penalties for absentee ballot fraud and ensures that all elections fraud can be prosecuted as a felony.

"Senate Bill 40 sends a clear message that Georgia is serious about the integrity of our elections," said Secretary of State Handel. "Those who commit fraud will face grave consequences."

As for Senate Bill 194, this piece of legislation changes the date of the Presidential Preference Primary from the first Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in February, beginning February 5, 2008.

Senate Bill 194 also gives much needed relief to local election officials by allowing them to begin the tabulation of absentee ballots when polls open on the day of a primary, election or runoff.

"Counties will now have the ability to begin counting those ballots as early as 7 p.m. on Election Day," stated Secretary Handel. "This flexibility will assist in the efficient tally of absentee ballots and will help avoid delays."

The bill will likewise require election officials to compare the signature on an absentee elector's voter registration card against the absentee ballot.