Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 851: Athens-Clarke County; Board of Elections and Registration; provide for abolition on a date certain
Last action March 31, 2025 · House Withdrawn, Recommitted
A House bill would abolish the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration on June 30, 2025, shifting election administration duties to whatever officials general state law designates.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
The Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration was created by a 1993 local act of the Georgia General Assembly. This bill amends that 1993 act to add a new section setting a specific end date for the board. Under the bill, the board would be abolished on June 30, 2025. After that date, unless a separate local law says otherwise, the roles of election superintendent and board of registrars for Athens-Clarke County would be filled according to Georgia's general election laws rather than the local board structure created in 1993. The bill also repeals any existing laws that conflict with this change.
What the bill does
- Adds a new section to the 1993 local act creating the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration.
- Sets June 30, 2025 as the date on which the board is abolished.
- Directs that, absent a different local law, the election superintendent and board of registrars for Athens-Clarke County be determined under Georgia's general election law.
- Repeals any existing laws or parts of laws that conflict with this change.
Who it affects
Athens-Clarke County voters and residents, the current members of the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections and Registration, county election officials, and anyone involved in administering elections and voter registration in Athens-Clarke County.
Why it matters
If enacted, Athens-Clarke County would lose the specific elections board structure it has used since 1993 and instead rely on general state law to determine who runs local elections and voter registration, which could change who holds those roles and how they are chosen.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Section 11.1 to the 1993 act, stating the board is abolished on June 30, 2025.
- Section 1 also specifies that, absent a separate local law, the county's election superintendent and board of registrars will be set according to general state election law after abolition.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“The board established pursuant to this Act shall be abolished on June 30, 2025, and unless otherwise provided by local law, the election superintendent and board of registrars for Athens-Clarke County shall be determined as provided by general law.”
Status timeline
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)
- Marcus Wiedower (R, HD-121)
- Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
Topics
- election administration
- Athens-Clarke County
- local government
- voter registration