HB1108: HB1108 Elections; state-wide uniform system of voting equipment; revise provisions

Georgia currently uses a statewide voting system in which ballots are marked using electronic ballot markers and counted by ballot scanners, with the Secretary of State responsible for certifying and selecting that equipment. House Bill 1108 would move that certification and selection authority to the State Election Board instead. It would also change the default method of voting so that ballots are hand marked by voters and counted in a publicly recorded hand count at the polling place where they were cast, rather than being scanned electronically. Voters who cannot use a hand marked ballot, such as some voters with disabilities, would still have access to an electronic ballot marking device that produces a readable paper ballot. Any voting equipment purchased by the state would have to be American made, developed and maintained by American citizens, incapable of remote access, and certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission. The bill also updates rules for scanning absentee ballots and letting counties share equipment with municipalities. It would take effect January 1, 2027.

• Transfers authority to certify and select the statewide voting equipment system from the Secretary of State to the State Election Board.
• Makes hand marked, hand counted paper ballots the standard method of voting, with counting done publicly at the polling place.
• Requires each polling place to keep an electronic ballot marking device available for voters, such as some voters with disabilities, who cannot use a hand marked ballot.
• Requires any state purchased voting equipment to be made and maintained by Americans, be incapable of remote access, and be certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission before purchase.
• Allows counties to let municipalities use the same state provided voting equipment for municipal elections and bars counties from charging a fee for that use, though counties may seek reimbursement for actual costs.
• Updates the absentee ballot scanning law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-386) to reference the new certification process while keeping the requirement to scan and post digital images of absentee ballots.

The bill affects the Secretary of State's office and the State Election Board, which would trade certification duties; county election officials and poll workers, who would run hand counts; voters, especially those with disabilities who rely on ballot marking devices; and municipal governments that contract with counties to use state voting equipment.

If enacted, most Georgia voters would mark paper ballots by hand and watch them counted by hand at their polling place instead of by machine, changing how quickly and how results are tabulated. Oversight of which voting machines Georgia uses would also move to a different state body.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 21-2-300 to give the State Election Board, not the Secretary of State, authority to certify and select the statewide voting equipment system.
• Section 1 requires ballots to be hand marked by voters and tabulated through a publicly recorded hand count at the polling place, replacing electronic scanning as the default method.
• Section 1 requires each polling place to also offer an electronic ballot marker for voters who cannot use a hand marked ballot, such as some voters with disabilities.
• Section 1 requires any state furnished tabulation, result publication, or voter authentication equipment to be incapable of remote access, made by an American owned company using all American made components, and certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission before purchase.
• Section 1 lets county governments contract with municipalities to use the same state provided voting equipment and bars counties from charging municipalities a fee, though counties may seek reimbursement for actual election costs.
• Section 1 allows small elections with fewer than 5,000 registered voters, under State Election Board approval, to use pen and paper absentee style ballots instead of electronic ballot markers for certain special elections.
• Section 2 updates the absentee ballot scanning law (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-386) to reference the new certification requirement while keeping the rule that absentee ballots must be scanned and posted as digital images.
• Section 3 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027.

1. 2026-02-03House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-02House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-29House Hopper (House)

• Charlice Byrd (R, HD-020)Primary sponsor
• Noelle Kahaian (R, HD-081)
• Bill Fincher (R, HD-023)

• election equipment
• hand counted ballots
• voting machines
• State Election Board
• absentee ballots