SB370: SB370 Elections and Primaries; closed primaries; provide

Currently, Georgia holds open primaries: any registered voter can choose which party's primary ballot to vote on election day without declaring a party affiliation in advance. Senate Bill 370 would change this by creating a closed primary system. Voters would have to register their party affiliation through a new online portal run by the Secretary of State, and that registration would have to happen at least 30 days before early voting starts for a given primary. The bill also updates related procedures: absentee ballot applications for primaries would need to include the voter's party registration so clerks can verify eligibility, and precinct voter lists used at polling places would have to show each voter's party affiliation for partisan primaries. The State Election Board would be authorized to write rules to administer the new system. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a specific effective date beyond that.

• Requires voters to register a party affiliation with the Secretary of State before they can vote in that party's primary election.
• Creates a new online portal for voters to designate their party affiliation, which is then sent to the relevant political party and county election officials.
• Sets a deadline requiring party affiliation registration at least 30 days before early voting begins for a primary.
• Requires absentee ballot applications for primary elections to include the applicant's party registration so clerks can verify eligibility.
• Requires precinct voter lists used in partisan primaries to show each listed voter's party affiliation.
• Authorizes the State Election Board to adopt rules for administering the new closed primary system.

Georgia voters who currently vote in open primaries, county election registrars and absentee ballot clerks who process applications and voter lists, political parties that receive affiliation data, and the Secretary of State's office, which must build and run the new registration portal.

Voters would no longer be able to pick a party's primary ballot on election day; they would need to register their affiliation weeks in advance through a new state portal. This could affect independent or unaffiliated voters and change how election officials verify and record voter eligibility.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 21-2-151 to require party registration through a Secretary of State web portal, with a 30 day deadline before early voting starts.
• Section 1 also authorizes the State Election Board to adopt rules and regulations to administer the closed primary system.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-381 to require absentee ballot applications for primaries to list the applicant's partisan registration for identity verification.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-401 to require precinct electors lists to show each voter's party affiliation for partisan primaries.
• Section 4 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-02Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-31Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)Primary sponsor
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)

• closed primaries
• election rules
• voter registration
• absentee ballots
• political parties