---
title: HB 502. Elections; preferential treatment during advance voting for voters accompanied by children two years of age or younger; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb502
cite_as: HB 502, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb502
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb502.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb502/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70426
date: 2026-02-19
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 319
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb502.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 502
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-18
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Saira Draper
- John LaHood
- Tim Fleming
- Beth Camp
- Rob Leverett
- Joseph Gullett
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB502/2025
upstream_id: 1974171
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- election rules
- voting access
- advance voting
- disability accommodations
- parents and voting
---
# HB 502. Elections; preferential treatment during advance voting for voters accompanied by children two years of age or younger; provide
## Text
The House Committee on Governmental Affairs offers the following substitute to HB 502:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
elections and primaries generally, so as to provide for preferential treatment during advance
voting to voters accompanied by children two years of age or younger; to revise provisions
related to voters who need assistance; to provide for preferential treatment during certain
hours on election day to voters accompanied by children two years of age or younger; to
revise provisions related to voters who need assistance; to provide for related matters; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and
primaries generally, is amended by revising Code Section 21-2-385.1, relating to preferential
treatment for older and disabled voters, as follows:
"21-2-385.1.
During the period of advance voting established pursuant to subsection (d) of Code
Section 21-2-385, each elector who is 75 years of age or older, who is accompanied by one
or more children two years of age or younger, or who is disabled and requires assistance
in casting an absentee ballot in person at the registrar's office, absentee ballot clerk's office,
or other locations as provided for in Code Section 21-2-382 such that standing in line
would be impracticable shall, upon request to a designated office employee or other
individual, be authorized to vote immediately at the next available voting compartment or
booth without having to wait in line if such location utilizes direct recording electronic
voting systems or be authorized to go to the head of any line necessary to cast a written
absentee ballot. Notice of the provisions of this Code section shall be prominently
displayed in the registrar's office or absentee ballot clerk's office."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-409.1, relating to voting by
electors who are 75 years of age or older or disabled electors without having to wait in line,
as follows:
"21-2-409.1.
On election day between the hours of 9:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., each elector who is 75
years of age or older, who is accompanied by one or more children two years of age or
younger, or who is disabled and requires assistance in voting as authorized by Code
Section 21-2-409, such that standing in line would be impracticable shall, upon request to
a poll officer, be authorized at any primary or election to vote immediately at the next
available voting compartment or booth without having to wait in line. Notice of the
provisions of this Code section shall be prominently displayed in the voting place."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would let voters accompanied by a child age two or younger skip to the front of the line during advance voting and on election day, the same head-of-line privilege currently given to voters 75 and older or disabled voters.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-385.1 and 21-2-409.1), voters who are 75 or older or who are disabled and require assistance can go to the front of the line during advance voting or during set hours on election day. This bill adds a new group to that privilege: voters accompanied by one or more children age two or younger.
The bill also changes the standard for disabled voters. Instead of qualifying because they need assistance casting a ballot, they would qualify if standing in line would be impracticable for them. The head-of-line rule for election day would still apply only between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Notices about these rules must still be posted prominently at registrar offices, absentee ballot clerk offices, and polling places.
### What it does
- Adds voters accompanied by a child two years old or younger to the group allowed to skip to the front of the line during advance voting.
- Adds the same accompanied-by-young-child group to the head-of-line privilege on election day between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Changes the qualifying condition for disabled voters from needing assistance casting a ballot to standing in line being impracticable for them.
- Keeps the requirement that notice of these line-skipping rules be posted prominently at registrar's offices, absentee ballot clerk's offices, and polling places.
### Who it affects
Voters who bring a child age two or younger with them to vote, voters 75 or older, and disabled voters all gain or keep priority access to skip waiting lines. Poll workers, registrars, and absentee ballot clerks would need to apply the new eligibility rule and keep required notices posted.
### Why it matters
Parents and caregivers of very young children would no longer have to wait in long lines to vote in person, which could make voting with an infant or toddler easier. The change to the disability standard could also broaden or narrow who qualifies for the existing line-skipping accommodation.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-385.1 to add voters accompanied by a child two years of age or younger to those who may vote immediately without waiting in line during advance voting.
- Section 1 also changes the disability qualifying standard from requiring assistance casting an absentee ballot to standing in line being impracticable.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-409.1 to extend the same accompanied-by-young-child priority to election day voting between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Section 2 applies the same revised impracticability standard for disabled voters on election day.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-18)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-02-19)
- Sponsors: Saira Draper, John LaHood, Tim Fleming, Beth Camp, Rob Leverett, Joseph Gullett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70426
> The history, votes, and amendments (319 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb502.md?full=1