---
title: O.C.G.A. § 21-2-588. Premature counting of votes by poll officer.
collection: code
id: 21-2-588
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 21-2-588 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-588
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-588.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-588/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t21-(v18)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=868a5c43_0#page=631
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-587.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/21-2-589.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ELECTIONS / ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES GENERALLY / MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 21-2-588. Premature counting of votes by poll officer.

Except as provided in Code Section 21-2-386, any poll officer who counts any votes before the close of the polls or before the last person has voted, whichever occurs later in time, on the day of any primary or election shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

## History

Code 1933, § 34-1939, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, Ex. Sess., p. 26, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2010, p. 914, § 34/HB 540.