HB851: HB851 Athens-Clarke County; Board of Elections and Registration; provide for abolition on a date certain

Athens-Clarke County currently has its own Board of Elections and Registration, created by a 1993 local law, which runs elections and voter registration in the county. This bill would add a new section to that 1993 law setting a firm end date for the board. Under the bill, the board would be abolished on June 30, 2025. Unless a separate local law says otherwise, the county's election superintendent and board of registrars would then be whoever general Georgia law designates for counties without a special local election board. The bill also repeals any laws that conflict with this change.

• Adds a new section to the 1993 Athens-Clarke County election law setting June 30, 2025 as the date the county's Board of Elections and Registration is abolished.
• Provides that after abolition, the county's election superintendent and board of registrars default to whatever general Georgia law provides, unless a new local law sets different arrangements.
• Repeals any existing state or local laws that conflict with this change.

Athens-Clarke County voters and election administrators are affected, since the county's dedicated election board would cease to exist and be replaced by whatever officials general state law assigns to run elections and registration.

If enacted, Athens-Clarke County would lose its locally created election board and instead rely on the general statewide structure for election superintendents and registrars, changing who oversees local voting and voter registration processes.

• Section 1 adds new Section 11.1 to the 1993 Act, abolishing the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration on June 30, 2025.
• Section 1 also specifies that, absent a new local law, the county's election superintendent and board of registrars will be determined by general law after abolition.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the bill.

1. 2025-03-31House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-31House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-03-31House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
4. 2025-03-31House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
5. 2025-03-27House Second Readers (House)
6. 2025-03-25House First Readers (House)
7. 2025-03-25House Hopper (House)

• Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)Primary sponsor
• Marcus Wiedower (R, HD-121)
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)

• election administration
• Athens-Clarke County
• voter registration
• local government