SB 531: Electors; convictions for offenses involving the purchase, possession, or control of certain controlled substances shall not prevent persons from registering, remaining registered, or voting; provide

Under current Georgia law, a conviction for a 'felony involving moral turpitude' bars a person from registering, staying registered, or voting until they finish their sentence. This bill amends that law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-216) to say that certain drug convictions, specifically violations of subsection (a) or paragraph (1) of subsection (j) of Georgia's controlled substances law (O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30), which cover purchasing, possessing, or controlling certain controlled substances or marijuana, no longer count as a felony involving moral turpitude for voting purposes. The rest of the existing rule stays in place: people convicted of other felonies involving moral turpitude still cannot register, remain registered, or vote until their sentence is complete, and people found mentally incompetent still cannot vote unless that finding is reversed. The change would take effect on January 1, 2027.

• Adds a new definition to Georgia's voter qualification law stating that certain drug offenses do not count as a 'felony involving moral turpitude' for voting eligibility purposes.
• Excludes convictions under specific parts of Georgia's controlled substances law, covering purchase, possession, or control of controlled substances or marijuana, from the list of felonies that block voter registration.
• Leaves in place the existing rule that other felonies involving moral turpitude still bar someone from registering or voting until their sentence is complete.
• Leaves in place the existing rule barring people judicially found mentally incompetent from voting unless that disability is removed.
• Sets the effective date of the change as January 1, 2027.

Georgians with past or future convictions for purchasing, possessing, or controlling certain controlled substances or marijuana under O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30, county election officials and boards of registrars who process voter registrations, and the state agencies that check felony conviction databases against voter rolls.

People convicted of the specified drug possession offenses would keep their ability to register and vote instead of losing it as a 'felony involving moral turpitude.' Election officials would need to apply a narrower definition when deciding whether a past conviction disqualifies someone from voting.

• Section 1 revises subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 21-2-216, which lists disqualifications for voter registration and voting.
• The new definition specifies that 'felony involving moral turpitude' excludes offenses under subsection (a) or paragraph (1) of subsection (j) of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30, covering purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of controlled substances or marijuana as referenced in those specific provisions.
• The existing requirement remains that other moral turpitude felony convictions bar voting until the sentence is completed.
• The existing requirement remains that a judicial finding of mental incompetence bars voting unless the disability is removed.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-18Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)Primary sponsor
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)

• voting rights
• felon voting rights
• election rules
• drug possession law
• voter registration