HB960: HB960 Gwinnett Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide twelfth judge

Although HB 960 was originally filed to add a twelfth judge to the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit's superior courts, the text supplied here is a Senate Committee on Ethics substitute that instead amends Georgia's election code (Title 21, Chapter 2). It requires that the official list of eligible voters be finalized and made public at least five days before advance voting starts, and it lets the State Election Board fine county boards of registrars up to $100 per registration when they fail to remove a voter after a successful challenge. The substitute also updates rules for the state's uniform voting equipment used after July 1, 2026, ballot printing and design (including timing marks and watermarks), and requires posting a list of everyone who voted after polls close, with the Secretary of State keeping an archived database of those lists. It tightens rules for scanned-ballot image posting, narrows the vote-margin trigger for candidate recounts from one-half of one percent to one percent, and adds a mandatory recount requirement for certain statewide and federal races decided by a close margin. It also limits the Secretary of State's role in risk-limiting audits.

• Requires county election officials to finalize and publicly post the official voter list at least five calendar days before advance voting begins.
• Allows the State Election Board to fine boards of registrars up to $100 per voter registration they fail to remove after a successful challenge.
• Updates the statewide uniform voting equipment and ballot design rules that take effect after July 1, 2026, including allowing timing marks to determine a voter's selections.
• Requires posting a list of everyone who cast a ballot after polls close and directs the Secretary of State to keep an archived database of those lists.
• Widens the vote-margin threshold that triggers a candidate's right to request a recount, from one-half of one percent to a full one percent of votes cast.
• Creates a mandatory manual recount requirement for close races in president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General contests.

County boards of registrars and election superintendents, the Secretary of State's office, the State Election Board, candidates seeking recounts, voters whose eligibility is challenged, and voters requesting scanned ballot images under Georgia's open records law all face new duties, deadlines, or oversight under this substitute.

The changes would affect how quickly voter lists and ballot images become public, whether registrars face financial penalties for mistakes, which close elections automatically get manual recounts, and how much oversight the Secretary of State keeps over post-election audits, all of which shape day-to-day election administration across Georgia's counties.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-224 to require the voter list be finalized and made a public record at least five days before advance voting starts.
• Sections 2 and 3 amend O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-229 and 21-2-230 to allow civil fines of up to $100 per registration against registrars who fail to remove a challenged voter.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-300 to update the uniform statewide voting equipment and electronic ballot marker rules taking effect after July 1, 2026.
• Sections 5-8 revise ballot printing, watermark, and design rules under O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-369, 21-2-372, 21-2-379.23, and 21-2-383, including allowing timing marks to read a voter's selections.
• Section 9 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 21-2-421 to require posting the number of ballots cast and a list of electors who voted by 11:59 p.m. on election night, with an archival database kept by the Secretary of State.
• Section 11 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-493 on scanned ballot image posting deadlines and procedures for higher-resolution ballot scan requests.
• Section 12 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-495 to raise the recount-eligibility margin to one percent and require automatic manual recounts for certain close statewide and federal races.
• Section 13 amends O.C.G.A. § 21-2-498 to limit the Secretary of State's role in risk-limiting audits unless directed by the State Election Board.

1. 2026-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
2. 2026-03-27Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2026-03-27Senate Engrossed (Senate)
4. 2026-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
6. 2026-03-19Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted (Senate)
7. 2026-02-03Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-02House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Samuel Park (D, HD-107)
• Segun Adeyina (D, HD-110)
• Arlene Beckles (D, HD-096)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 2, 2026

   167 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #468

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 19, 2026

   30 yea, 20 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Motion To Withdraw And Commit: Senate Vote #744

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

   31 yea, 18 nay (4 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Hb 229, Hb 583, Hb 960, Hb 1070: Senate Vote #826

4. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

   32 yea, 21 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #827

5. FailedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

   21 yea, 31 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Motion For Reconsideration: Senate Vote #828

• election rules
• voter registration
• recount procedures
• ballot design
• election audits