HB604: HB604 Elections; authorize local election superintendents to conduct manual recounts of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns

Georgia law already lays out how local election superintendents compute, canvass, and tabulate election returns and handle discrepancies (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-493). This bill adds a new option: after finishing those required steps, a superintendent may choose to have staff hand count all ballots cast in one race within a county or municipality. The hand count would happen at the same location as the original tabulation and would be open to the public, and the superintendent could split assistants into teams to work at the same time. The hand count's results would be unofficial. If they show a discrepancy with the official tabulated results, the superintendent would have to resolve it using the existing discrepancy procedures already in law. The bill also says the hand count can never delay the superintendent's other required duties under Georgia election law, and any hand count in progress must stop immediately if it would cause the superintendent to miss another legal deadline or requirement.

• Adds a new subsection to Georgia's vote tabulation law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-493) letting local election superintendents optionally hand count ballots in one race after official tabulation is complete.
• Requires any such hand count to take place at the same location as the original canvassing and be open to public observation.
• Allows the superintendent to split assistants into teams so hand counting can happen simultaneously in sections.
• Labels hand count results unofficial, and requires any discrepancy with official results to be resolved through existing procedures in the same code section.
• Requires an in-progress hand count to be stopped immediately if it would delay the superintendent from meeting any other requirement of Georgia's election chapter.
• Repeals any conflicting state laws.

County and municipal election superintendents, their staff and volunteer assistants, candidates and campaigns watching for accuracy checks, and members of the public who may observe these hand counts, since the process must be open to the public.

Local officials would gain a formal, legal option to double check machine-tabulated results by hand for a given race without it counting as an official recount, potentially catching errors, but the process is voluntary and must yield to other legal deadlines, so its use and impact would vary by county.

• Section 1 adds subsection (h.1) to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-493, permitting a hand accounting of ballots in one race after the tabulation steps in subsections (a) through (h) are complete.
• The hand accounting must occur at the same location as the original computation and canvassing and must be open to the public.
• Superintendents may divide assistants into sections to conduct the hand count simultaneously.
• Hand count results are unofficial; discrepancies with official results must be addressed under the existing procedures in subsections (b) through (h).
• The hand accounting must be immediately terminated if it would prevent the superintendent from meeting any other requirement of the elections chapter.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-02-27House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-26House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-24House Hopper (House)

• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)Primary sponsor
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Steve Tarvin (R, HD-002)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Jordan Ridley (R, HD-022)
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)

• election rules
• vote counting
• local election officials
• election transparency