Georgia General Assembly · Full text

HB 604: Elections; authorize local election superintendents to conduct manual recounts of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns

Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action April 4, 2025 · Introduced

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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 to elections and primaries generally, so as authorize local election superintendents to conduct a hand accounting of ballots following the computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns in an election; to address discrepancies raised by such hand accountings; to provide for the termination of such hand accountings if they conflict with other duties of the superintendent; 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 in Code Section 21-2-493, relating to computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns, investigation of discrepancies in vote counts, recount procedure, posting of digital images of scanned paper ballots, certification of returns, and change in returns, by adding a new subsection to read as follows: "(h.1)(1) Upon completing all tasks required by subsections (a) through (h) of this Code section, the superintendent may conduct a hand accounting of all ballots cast in one race appearing on such ballots within a county or municipality. Such hand accounting shall occur at the same location as the computation and canvassing provided for in subsection

(a) of this Code section and shall be open to the public. For the purpose of such a hand accounting, the superintendent may organize his or her assistants into sections, each of whom may simultaneously proceed with the hand accounting provided for by this subsection.

(2) The results of such hand accounting shall be unofficial, but if the results of such a hand accounting indicate a discrepancy with the official results of the computation, canvassing, and tabulation provided for in this Code section, any such discrepancy shall be addressed as provided for in subsections (b) through (h) of this Code section.

(3) The hand accounting provided for in this subsection shall in no way delay or inhibit the superintendent from complying with any requirements of this chapter. If an ongoing hand accounting will prevent a superintendent from meeting any of the requirements of any provision of this chapter, such accounting shall be immediately terminated."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.