--- title: HB 604. Elections; authorize local election superintendents to conduct manual recounts of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb604 cite_as: HB 604, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb604 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb604.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb604/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70730 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb603.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb605.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 249 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb604.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 604 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Rick Jasperse - Brent Cox - Steve Tarvin - Alan Powell - Jordan Ridley - Carter Barrett text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB604/2025 upstream_id: 1982080 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - election rules - vote counting - local election officials - election transparency --- # HB 604. Elections; authorize local election superintendents to conduct manual recounts of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns ## Text 25 LC 47 3513S The House Committee on Governmental Affairs offers the following substitute to HB 604: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 elections and primaries generally, so as authorize local election superintendents to conduct2 a hand accounting of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns3 in an election; to address discrepancies raised by such hand accountings; to provide for the4 termination of such hand accountings if they conflict with other duties of the superintendent;5 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to elections and9 primaries generally, is amended in Code Section 21-2-493, relat ing to computation,10 canvassing, and tabulation of returns, investigation of discrepancies in vote counts, recount11 procedure, posting of digital images of scanned paper ballots, certification of returns, and12 change in returns, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:13 "(h.1)(1) Upon completing all tasks required by subsections (a) through (h) of this Code14 section, the superintendent may conduct a hand accounting of all ballots cast in one race15 appearing on such ballots within a county or municipality. Such hand accounting shall16 H. B. 604 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 47 3513S occur at the same location as the computation and canvassing provided for in subsection17 (a) of this Code section and shall be open to the public. For the purpose of such a hand18 accounting, the superintendent may organize his or her assistants into sections, each of19 whom may simultaneously proceed with the hand accounting provid ed for by this20 subsection.21 (2) The results of such hand accounting shall be unofficial, b ut if the results of such a22 hand accounting indicate a discrepancy with the official result s of the computation,23 canvassing, and tabulation provided for in this Code section, any such discrepancy shall24 be addressed as provided for in subsections (b) through (h) of this Code section.25 (3) The hand accounting provided for in this subsection shall in no way delay or inhibit26 the superintendent from complying with any requirements of this chapter. If an ongoing27 hand accounting will prevent a superintendent from meeting any of the requirements of28 any provision of this chapter, such accounting shall be immediately terminated."29 SECTION 2.30 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.31 H. B. 604 (SUB) - 2 - ## 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 county and municipal election superintendents voluntarily conduct a public hand count of ballots in one race after official results are tabulated, mainly to check for discrepancies. ### Plain-language summary 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. ### What it does - 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. ### Who it affects 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. ### Why it matters 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. ### Key provisions - 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. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Rick Jasperse, Brent Cox, Steve Tarvin, Alan Powell, Jordan Ridley, Carter Barrett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70730 > The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb604.md?full=1