SB 357: Elections and Primaries; challenge the qualifications of a person applying to register to vote or any person whose name appears on the list of electors; provide

Under current Georgia law, any voter can challenge whether another person is qualified to register or remain on the voter rolls, as long as the challenge is in writing and states specific grounds. This bill keeps that basic right but adds detailed new rules for how and when such challenges can be filed. The bill creates a new Code section, 21-2-230.1, that requires challenges to be filed at least 45 days before advance voting begins and limits valid grounds to age, citizenship, felony conviction without restored rights, mental incompetency, or residency issues. For residency challenges, the challenger must either give the person's real address or show they made a genuine effort to verify it, such as sending a letter or checking property and voter records. Challengers must also sign a sworn affidavit. The Secretary of State must create a standard challenge form for counties to use, and challenge documents become public records.

• Requires all voter eligibility challenges under O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-229 and 21-2-230 to follow a new standardized process instead of just being 'in writing.'
• Sets a firm deadline requiring challenges to be filed at least 45 days before the first day of advance voting.
• Limits the allowed grounds for a challenge to five specific categories: age, citizenship, felony conviction, mental incompetency, or residency.
• Requires challengers alleging a residency problem to either supply the person's actual address or prove they made documented efforts to verify it.
• Requires challengers to sign a sworn affidavit attesting to their personal knowledge that the person is ineligible or misregistered.
• Directs the Secretary of State to create and distribute a standard challenge form and makes challenge-related documents public records.

Georgia voters who file challenges against other registered voters or applicants, the people being challenged, county election superintendents and registrars who process challenges, and the Secretary of State's office, which must design and distribute the new challenge form statewide.

The bill changes how easy or hard it is to challenge someone's voting eligibility in Georgia. Requiring specific documentation, a sworn affidavit, and a 45-day deadline before advance voting could reduce last-minute or vague challenges, while also adding paperwork burdens for people who want to raise concerns about a voter's qualifications.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-229 so challenges to voter registration applicants must follow the new procedure in Code Section 21-2-230.1 instead of simply being in writing.
• Section 2 makes the same change to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-230, which governs challenges to people already on the list of electors.
• Section 3 creates new Code Section 21-2-230.1, listing five allowed grounds for a challenge: age, citizenship, felony conviction without restored rights, mental incompetency, or residency mismatch.
• Section 3 requires residency-based challenges to include either the person's actual address or documented proof of at least two verification steps, such as a returned-service letter or a property records search.
• Section 3 requires challengers to sign an affidavit swearing personal knowledge that the person is ineligible or misregistered.
• Section 3 makes challenge documents public records under Georgia's open records law (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70) and directs the Secretary of State to create a standard challenge form for county officials to use.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-03-25Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Sally Harrell (D, SD-40)Primary sponsor
• Sam Watson (R, SD-11)

• voter eligibility challenges
• election rules
• voter registration
• Secretary of State
• residency requirements