Georgia CommonsSB 3: Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee; establish
Last action June 25, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-06-25
Senate Bill 3 creates a new legislative committee to design a replacement statewide election equipment system based on hand marked paper ballots, strips the current Secretary of State of authority over selecting that system, and adds new rules for automatic recounts and election audits.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia currently uses touchscreen voting machines statewide. This bill sets up the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee, made up of three people appointed by the Governor, three senators, and three House members, to recommend specifications for a new statewide voting system built around hand marked paper ballots printed on demand. The committee must report its recommendations by January 31, 2027, aimed at rolling out the new system for the 2028 elections. The bill also says the sitting Secretary of State has no authority over selecting, certifying, or procuring this new system, and voids any such actions already taken, unless the committee itself asks for input from the Secretary of State's office. Separately, the bill requires automatic statewide manual recounts for close statewide races (within half a percent) for governor and other top offices, with the state reimbursing counties that finish within 17 days. It also revises which contests must undergo risk-limiting audits and pushes back an effective date from a 2024 elections law. The new committee provision repeals itself on July 1, 2029, and the bill takes effect once signed by the Governor.
What the bill does
- Creates a nine-member Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee to recommend specifications for a new statewide voting system using hand marked paper ballots printed on demand.
- Requires the committee to deliver a detailed report by January 31, 2027, to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker, Secretary of State, and State Election Board, aimed at use by the 2028 elections.
- Strips the current Secretary of State of authority over selecting, certifying, or procuring the new voting system and declares any such prior actions void and legally invalid (ultra vires), unless the committee requests the office's input.
- Adds a mandatory statewide manual recount requirement for close top statewide races (governor, lieutenant governor, and other named offices) when the margin is half a percent or less, with the state reimbursing counties' recount costs if finished within 17 days.
- Expands the list of election contests that must automatically undergo risk-limiting audits (statistical checks of vote counts) to include presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general races.
- Delays the effective date of a section of a 2024 elections law (SB 189) to January 1, 2028.
Who it affects
The current Secretary of State, whose authority over selecting new election equipment is removed, the Governor, legislative leaders and appointed committee members who will design the new voting system, county election superintendents who administer recounts and audits, and Georgia voters whose ballots would eventually be cast on new equipment.
Why it matters
If enacted, Georgia would move toward replacing its current voting machines with hand marked paper ballots printed on demand, a major change to how votes are cast statewide. Close statewide races would trigger automatic recounts paid for by the state, and the sitting Secretary of State would lose control over choosing the new voting technology.
Key provisions
- Section 1 creates new Code Section 21-2-301 establishing the nine-member committee, its membership structure, and its mandate to recommend a hand marked paper ballot system printed on demand.
- Section 1 sets a January 31, 2027 deadline for the committee's report and directs it to policymakers including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker, Secretary of State, and State Election Board.
- Section 1 bars the sitting Secretary of State from any role in selecting, certifying, or procuring the new equipment and voids any prior related actions, unless the committee requests input.
- Section 1 provides per diem and travel expense payments for nonlegislative committee members, funded through the State Election Board, and repeals the committee provision on July 1, 2029.
- Section 2 amends Code Section 21-2-495 to require automatic manual recounts in qualified statewide contests when the margin is half a percent or less, with state reimbursement for counties that finish within 17 days.
- Section 3 revises Code Section 21-2-498 to expand the list of contests automatically subject to risk-limiting audits, adding presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general races.
- Section 4 revises a 2024 elections law (SB 189) to push the effective date of one of its sections to January 1, 2028.
- Section 5 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or upon it becoming law without signature.
From the bill
“Any and all actions taken by the Secretary of State in office on the effective date of this Code section related to the selection, certification, or procurement of a new uniform system of election equipment shall be void and ultra vires.”
“There is created the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee that shall recommend the specifications, standards, and requirements for a new uniform system of election equipment based upon hand marked paper ballots produced utilizing ballot on demand printing.”
“This Code section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2029.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-06-25
- Act 1EX
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- House Immediately Transmitted to Senate (House)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
Show full history (17 actions)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Max Burns (R, SD-023)
- Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
- Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
- Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
- Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
- Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
- John Albers (R, SD-056)
- Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
- Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
- Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
- Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
- Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
- Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
- Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
- Lanny Thomas (R, SD-053)
- Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)
Votes
- Senate voteJune 20, 2026
19 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteJune 20, 2026
18 yea, 33 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteJune 20, 2026
33 yea, 19 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteJune 20, 2026
33 yea, 19 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)
- Senate voteJune 20, 2026
33 yea, 19 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)
- House voteJune 23, 2026
94 yea, 79 nay (2 not voting, 4 absent)
- House voteJune 23, 2026
144 yea, 28 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteJune 23, 2026
19 yea, 32 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)
- Senate voteJune 23, 2026
36 yea, 16 nay (0 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- election equipment
- voting machines
- Secretary of State authority
- election recounts
- risk-limiting audits