---
title: 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
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb357
cite_as: SB 357, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb357
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb357.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb357/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71624
date: 2025-03-27
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/sb356.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb358.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb357.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 357
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-25
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Sally Harrell
  - Sam Watson
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB357/2025
upstream_id: 2014686
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - voter registration
  - election challenges
  - voting rights
  - election administration
---

# 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

## Text

25 LC 47 3615
Senate Bill 357
By: Senators Harrell of the 40th and Watson of the 11th
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 to provide for challen ging the qualifications of a2
person applying to register to vote or any person whose name appears on the list of electors;3
to provide for grounds; to provide for required documentation relating to such challenges;4
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
SECTION 1.7
Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated , relating to elections and8
primaries generally, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 21-2-229, relating9
to challenge of applicant for registration by other electors, notice and hearing, right of appeal,10
and sanctions for board's noncompliance, as follows:11
"(a) Any elector of a county or municipality may challenge the qualifications of any person12
applying to register to vote in the county or municipality and may challenge the13
qualifications of any elector of the county or municipality whose name appears on the list14
of electors. Such challenges shall be in writing conform to the requirements of Code15
S. B. 357
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25 LC 47 3615
Section 21-2-230.1 and shall distinctly specify the grounds of the challenge. There shall16
not be a limit on the number of persons whose qualifications such elector may challenge."17
SECTION 2.18
Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 21-2-230, relating19
to challenge of persons on list of electors by other electors, procedure, hearing, and right of20
appeal, as follows:21
"(a) Any elector of the county or municipality may challenge the right of any other elector22
of the county or municipality, whose name appears on the list o f electors, to vote in an23
election. Such challenge shall be in writing conform to the requirements of Code24
Section 21-2-230.1 and specify distinctly shall distinctly specify the grounds of such25
challenge. Such challenge may be made at any time prior to the elector whose right to vote26
is being challenged voting at the elector's polling place or, if such elector cast an absentee27
ballot, prior to 5:00 P.M. on the day before the absentee ballots are to begin to be scanned28
and tabulated; provided, however, that challenges to persons voting by absentee ballot in29
person at the office of the registrars or the absentee ballot clerk shall be made prior to such30
person's voting. There shall not be a limit on the number of persons whose qualifications31
such elector may challenge."32
SECTION 3.33
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:34
"21-2-230.1.35
(a) A challenge filed pursuant to Code Section 21-2-229 or 21-2-230 shall be in writing,36
filed at least 45 days prior to the first day of advance voting, and shall allege one or more37
of the following grounds for such challenge:38
(1) The challenged person or elector will not be eighteen year s of age by the next 39
primary, election, or runoff;40
S. B. 357
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25 LC 47 3615
(2) The challenged person or elector is not a citizen of the United States;41
(3) The challenged person or elector has been convicted of a felony and the voter's civil42
rights have not been restored;43
(4) The challenged person or elector has been judicially declared ineligible to vote due44
to mental incompetency; or45
(5) The challenged person or elector does not live at the residential address provided, in46
which case the challenger shall either:47
(A) Provide the challenged person or elector’s actual residence on the challenge form48
provided in subsection (e) of this Code section; or49
(B) Submit evidence that he or she exercised due diligence in verifying that the50
challenged person or elector does not reside at the residential address provided and in51
attempting to contact the challenged person or elector to learn the challenged person or52
elector's actual residential address, including that the challenger personally undertook53
at least two of the following steps:54
(i) Sent a letter with return service requested to the challen ged person or elector's55
residential address provided and to the challenged person or elector's mailing address,56
if provided;57
(ii) Searched county property records to determine whether the challenged person or58
elector owns any property in the county; and59
(iii) Searched the state-wide voter registration data base to determine if the person or60
elector is registered at any other address in this state.61
(b) The challenger shall file a signed affidavit swearing that , to his or her personal62
knowledge and belief, the challenged person or elector is neither qualified to vote nor does63
the challenged person or elector reside at the address given on his or her voter registration64
record.65
(c) A challenge filed pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall66
only be entertained if it is alleged that the person or elector does not live at the residential67
S. B. 357
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address provided and that the actual residence of such person o r elector is outside the68
precinct in which such residential address provided is located.69
(d) All documents obtained pertaining to the challenge shall be considered public records70
pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50.71
(e) The Secretary of State shall prepare the challenge form pr ovided for in this Code72
section and shall make such form available on the website of the office of the Secretary of73
State. The Secretary of State shall provide copies of such for m to each county election74
superintendent and registrar."75
SECTION 4.76
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.77
S. B. 357
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## 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 Senate bill would set stricter rules for challenging a voter's registration or eligibility, requiring written challenges filed 45 days before early voting begins and specific evidence for residency-based challenges.

### Plain-language summary

Under current Georgia law, any registered voter can challenge whether another person is qualified to register or to remain on the list of eligible voters (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-229 and § 21-2-230), but the law does not spell out in detail what such a challenge must contain. This bill requires that challenges follow a new standard form and process created by a new Code section, 21-2-230.1.
Challenges would have to be filed in writing at least 45 days before the first day of advance voting and must allege one of five specific grounds, such as the person being under 18, not a citizen, a felon whose rights were not restored, mentally incompetent by court order, or not living at the address on file. For residency challenges, the challenger must either supply the person's actual address or show they made real efforts to find it, including at least two specific verification steps. Challengers must also sign a sworn affidavit. All challenge documents would become public records, and the Secretary of State would design and distribute the official challenge form to counties.

### What it does

- Requires that voter qualification challenges under O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-229 and 21-2-230 follow a new standard written form set out in a new Code section, 21-2-230.1.
- Sets a filing deadline requiring challenges to be submitted at least 45 days before the first day of advance voting.
- Limits allowed grounds for a challenge to five specific categories: age, citizenship, felony conviction without restored rights, judicially declared mental incompetency, or residency mismatch.
- Requires challengers alleging a residency problem to either state the person's actual address or document at least two specific verification steps, such as sending a return-service letter or checking property records.
- Requires challengers to sign a sworn affidavit attesting to their personal knowledge that the challenged person is not qualified or does not live at the listed address.
- Makes all documents related to a challenge public records under Georgia's open records law (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70) and directs the Secretary of State to create and distribute the official challenge form.

### Who it affects

Registered voters who file challenges against other voters, people whose voter registration or eligibility is challenged, county election superintendents and registrars who process challenges, and the Secretary of State's office, which must design the standardized challenge form and forward it to counties.

### Why it matters

Georgians who want to challenge another person's voter eligibility would face new paperwork requirements, a firm 45-day filing deadline, and a sworn affidavit obligation, while people challenged over residency would benefit from stricter proof requirements before their voter status could be questioned.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-229 so that challenges to voter registration applicants must conform to the new written form requirements in Code Section 21-2-230.1.
- Section 2 similarly revises O.C.G.A. § 21-2-230 so that challenges to people already on the voter list must also follow the new form and grounds.
- Section 3 creates new Code Section 21-2-230.1, listing five specific grounds for challenges and requiring filing at least 45 days before advance voting begins.
- Section 3 requires residency-based challenges to include either the person's actual address or documentation of at least two verification steps, such as a returned-service letter, a property records search, or a statewide voter database search.
- Section 3 requires a signed affidavit from the challenger and limits residency challenges to cases where the person's actual residence is outside the precinct listed.
- Section 3 makes challenge-related documents public records under Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50 and directs the Secretary of State to create and distribute a standard challenge form.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-03-25)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-03-27)
- Sponsors: Sally Harrell, Sam Watson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71624

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb357.md?full=1