---
title: HB 633. Elections; add caregivers to list of persons who may make absentee ballot applications for certain electors
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb633
cite_as: HB 633, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb633
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb633.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb633/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70810
date: 2025-02-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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/hb632.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb634.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb633.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 633
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-26
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Debra Bazemore
  - Phil Olaleye
  - Shea Roberts
  - Mary Oliver
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB633/2025
upstream_id: 1985976
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - absentee voting
  - election rules
  - disability rights
  - caregivers
---

# HB 633. Elections; add caregivers to list of persons who may make absentee ballot applications for certain electors

## Text

House Bill 633
By: Representatives Bazemore of the 69th, Olaleye of the 59th, Roberts of the 52nd, and Oliver
of the 84th
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 add caregivers to the list of persons who may
make absentee ballot applications for certain electors; 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 in Code Section 21-2-381, relating to making of application
for absentee ballot, determination of eligibility by ballot clerk, furnishing of applications to
colleges and universities, and persons entitled to make application, by revising
subparagraph (a)(1)(B) as follows:
"(B) In the case of an elector residing temporarily out of the county or municipality or
a physically disabled elector residing within the county or municipality, the application
for the elector's absentee ballot may, upon satisfactory proof of relationship, be made
by such elector's mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, spouse, son,
daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law,
father-in-law, brother-in-law, <del>or</del> sister-in-law, <ins>or caregiver</ins> of the age of 18 or over."
SECTION 2.
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 caregivers, not just family members, apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of a physically disabled or temporarily absent voter.

### Plain-language summary

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-381), only certain relatives, such as a spouse, parent, sibling, or in-law, can submit an absentee ballot application on behalf of a voter who is physically disabled or temporarily living outside their county or municipality. This bill adds caregivers age 18 or older to that list of people who can make the application, as long as they can show proof of the relationship.
The change is made through a single revision to subparagraph (a)(1)(B) of the absentee ballot application law. The bill does not otherwise change who is eligible to vote absentee or how ballots are counted; it only expands who may file the application paperwork for a qualifying elector.

### What it does

- Adds caregivers age 18 or older to the list of people who may submit an absentee ballot application for a physically disabled voter or one temporarily living outside their county or municipality.
- Requires anyone applying on a voter's behalf, including a caregiver, to provide satisfactory proof of their relationship to the voter.
- Leaves the existing list of qualifying family members (parents, spouses, siblings, in-laws, and others) unchanged, adding caregiver as a new category alongside them.
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with this change.

### Who it affects

Physically disabled voters and voters temporarily living away from their home county, along with the caregivers who assist them, would be directly affected. County election officials and ballot clerks who review absentee applications and proof-of-relationship documentation would also be affected.

### Why it matters

Some disabled or temporarily absent voters rely on someone else to handle absentee ballot paperwork, but current law limits that help to specific relatives. Allowing caregivers to apply on a voter's behalf could make it easier for people without eligible family nearby to get an absentee ballot.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-381(a)(1)(B), which governs who may submit an absentee ballot application for a physically disabled or temporarily absent voter.
- The revised text adds caregiver of the age of 18 or over to the existing list of qualifying relatives who may make the application.
- Applicants, including caregivers, must still provide satisfactory proof of relationship to the elector before the application can be accepted.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting state laws, a standard closing provision with no substantive effect beyond the amendment itself.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-26)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-28)
- Sponsors: Debra Bazemore, Phil Olaleye, Shea Roberts, Mary Oliver
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70810

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb633.md?full=1