Bill > SB303

This bill proposes significant changes to Georgia's election voting equipment and procedures, primarily transferring responsibility for voting system certification from the Secretary of State to the State Election Board. The legislation mandates a statewide uniform voting system using hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots for all federal, state, and county elections, with provisions for ballot marking devices to assist voters with disabilities who cannot use hand-marked ballots. The bill requires that all voting equipment be American-owned, manufactured in the United States, and developed exclusively by American citizens, with hardware and software incapable of remote access. Counties may still purchase additional voting equipment at their own expense, and municipalities can acquire voting equipment as furnished by the state. The bill also requires all absentee ballots to be scanned at a high resolution and maintained in a digital format. These changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and aim to enhance election security, transparency, and accessibility by shifting from electronic ballot markers and scanners to a paper-based voting system with manual vote counting.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70955