HB 501: Elections; removal of certain members of State Election Board; revise procedures

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-30), a member of the State Election Board elected by the House or Senate can only be removed by a majority vote of the chamber that elected them, which practically means removal can happen only while the General Assembly is meeting. This bill adds a new option: when the legislature is not in session, the President of the Senate could remove a member the Senate elected, and the Speaker of the House could remove a member the House elected. The bill also changes how board members who were appointed to fill a vacancy (rather than elected) can be removed. Currently that member can be removed by a majority vote of the chamber whose presiding officer appointed them. Under the bill, they would instead be removable the same way as elected members, meaning either a vote of the chamber in session or removal by the relevant presiding officer when the legislature is out of session. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

• Adds a new removal method letting the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House remove a State Election Board member their chamber elected, but only when the General Assembly is not in session.
• Keeps the existing rule that a chamber can remove its elected board member by majority vote while the General Assembly is in session.
• Changes the removal process for a board member appointed to fill a vacancy, making it match the process used for elected members instead of a separate majority-vote rule.
• Sets the effective date as the day the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law without a signature.

This bill affects members of Georgia's State Election Board who are elected by the House or Senate or appointed to fill a board vacancy, as well as the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, who would gain new authority to remove those members between legislative sessions.

Currently a board member elected by a chamber can effectively only be removed while the General Assembly is meeting, which is a limited window each year. This bill would let legislative leaders act on board removals year-round, changing who controls the board's makeup and how quickly changes can happen.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-30(b) so an elected board member can be removed by a chamber majority vote while the General Assembly is in session.
• Section 1 also adds that when the General Assembly is not in session, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House can remove a member their respective chamber elected.
• Section 1 changes removal of a vacancy-appointed board member from a separate majority-vote process to the same removal process used for elected members.
• Section 2 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's approval or upon becoming law without approval.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-20House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-18House Hopper (House)

• Saira Draper (D, HD-090)Primary sponsor
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)
• Lisa Campbell (D, HD-035)
• Floyd Griffin (D, HD-149)
• Shea Roberts (D, HD-052)

• State Election Board
• election administration
• legislative powers
• government oversight