Latest news with #HB397
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Broad election bill nears Georgia Legislature's 2025 finish line aiming to exit data partnership
Republican Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington said he decided to remove a new election night ballot counting rule after local election supervisors testified Wednesday that a tight Election Day counting deadline would place unfair burdens on election staffers. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder A Georgia GOP-controlled Senate panel Thursday greenlighted a revised version of a wide-ranging bill packed with controversial provisions that no longer include plans to hand voter challenge complaints to state election officials and enforce new ballot counting methods. House Bill 397, which still contains several controversial rule changes, passed the Senate Ethics Committee Thursday night with four Democratic senators voting against it. The bill has been criticized for limiting voters' ability to drop off absentee ballots on the final weekend before Election Day and other proposed changes to election law. The bill's sponsor, Covington Republican Rep. Tim Fleming said he also decided to remove a new election night ballot counting rule after local election supervisors testified Wednesday that a tight Election Day counting deadline would place unfair burdens on election staffers and present chain of custody challenges. The bill still aims to ban the state from participating in third-party voter list sharing databases like the Electronic Registration Information Center, known as ERIC. Georgia secretary of state officials are asking legislators to maintain what they say has been a successful partnership that allows Georgia to share updated voter rolls with 24 other states. Big overhaul planned for Georgia elections: Bills aired in state Legislature's waning days Under HB 397, the Georgia elections board would evaluate the procedures and policies for withdrawing from ERIC. and provide recommendations to the legislative committees. Fleming's updated bill would delay the state's transition from the multi-state voter database. It now proposes July 1, 2027 as the implementation date for Georgia to transition to another system. It allows for additional time to find a new way during legislative sessions in 2026 and 2027 and following next year's general election, Fleming said. 'If there is a new secretary of state, it gives them time to work with this legislative body to implement what we have asked them to do,' Fleming said. The revised bill still would still give the controversial State Election Board new rulemaking authority and independence, however it no longer would hand appeals to voter eligibility challenges to the board. The appeals are currently resolved in Superior Courts. Sen. Derrick Mallow, a Savannah Democrat, questioned whether the election board could take over election rulemaking powers that rightfully reside with the General Assembly. Ethics Committee Chairman Sam Watson, a Moultrie Republican, credited Fleming and HB 397's co-sponsor Rep, Victor Anderson for incorporating some key recommendations into the election bill. 'They listened to a lot of concerns that we heard last night for two hours and they took those concerns back and now they've got a good bill that I think we can move forward with,' Watson said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens speak out for and against bill to limit early voting locations
The Brief House Bill 397 proposes restricting early voting to one precinct per county and expanding the State Election Board's powers, raising concerns about voter access and ballot security. The bill shifts voter eligibility challenge reviews from courts to the State Election Board, sparking criticism over the board's capacity to handle cases effectively. The revamped bill must clear the Senate and House before reaching the governor, with further revisions anticipated, but final passage is unlikely before the legislative session ends. ATLANTA - A contentious overhaul of Georgia's election laws drew dozens of citizens to the State Capitol Wednesday. The Senate Ethics Committee held a three-hour hearing on a sweeping new version of House Bill 397 that opponents say could undermine voter access and ballot security. The backstory House Bill 397, initially introduced to address Saturday voting rules, has undergone significant changes, sparking controversy and drawing public attention. The bill, now a 26-page document, was drastically rewritten by Senate Republicans, shifting its focus to broader election law reforms. The Senate Ethics Committee held a three-hour hearing on the bill, which opponents argue could undermine voter access and ballot security. What we know The current version of HB 397 proposes several key changes to Georgia's election laws. It would restrict early voting to just one precinct per county and expand the powers of the State Election Board, which is predominantly aligned with former President Donald Trump. Additionally, the bill mandates poll workers to manually count ballots on Election Day to match totals recorded by ballot-scanning machines, a move that local election officials warn could delay results and increase human error. Rebecca Anglin, elections director for Greene County, emphasized the need for secure handling of ballots, stating, "We want full control of those ballots at all times. We want them locked in secure containers and brought back to our office as soon as possible." The bill also seeks to shift the responsibility for reviewing voter eligibility challenges from the courts to the State Election Board. This change has raised concerns among voting rights advocates, as the board may not be equipped to handle the volume of cases. Don Hackney, a retired Atlanta attorney, testified against this shift, arguing that the current court-based system is effective and should not be replaced by "a non-elected partisan appointed board" that is "completely ill-equipped to handle the avalanche of challenges." What they're saying Supporters of HB 397 argue that the bill is necessary to ensure vote totals match and that the State Election Board should have the authority to hear voter challenges, claiming counties are dismissing valid concerns. The bill reflects a wish list from three Republican members of the State Election Board, who have advocated for stronger oversight and stricter rules following a state judge's ruling that struck down many of their regulations as overreaching. By the numbers Last summer, Republican activists challenged more than 63,000 voters, most of whom had moved. However, many challenges were rejected due to federal law prohibiting the removal of inactive voters from the rolls without a lengthy process. SEE ALSO: Georgia set to purge nearly half-million inactive voters this summer What's next The revamped bill must still clear the full Senate and return to the House for approval before heading to Governor Brian Kemp's desk. Lawmakers anticipate further revisions before a possible committee vote on Thursday. Given the timing, final passage is unlikely before the legislative session ends next week. Why you should care The proposed changes in HB 397 could significantly impact voter access and the integrity of election processes in Georgia. The bill's potential to alter early voting precincts, shift voter eligibility challenges, and leave the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) raises concerns about the accuracy and security of voter rolls. Charlene McGowan, chief counsel for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office, warned that leaving ERIC would compromise the state's ability to detect duplicate registrations and voters who have moved or died, stating, "We firmly believe in using every tool available to us." Dig deeper The committee did vote on another election measure. It recommended passing Senate Bill 214, which would switch state elections to paper ballots. The state spent more than $100,000,000 on the current touchscreen system in 2019. Critics of the system believe it is insecure, but the Georgia Secretary of State's Office refutes that claim, offering that there is no credible evidence to support it. Final votes on the paper ballot bill may not happen until the 2026 legislative session. SEE ALSO: Georgia Capitol erupts in protest over controversial abortion bill granting rights to embryos Georgia Senate committee pushes for subpoena enforcement in DA Willis probe Georgia allocates $250M to tackle prison neglect and violence Georgia Senate sends tax cut, $250 rebate to Gov. Kemp's desk Georgia tort reform bill: House of Representatives passes controversial bill The Source This article is based upon proceedings during the Senate Ethics Committee meeting discussing House Bill 397, which originally was to address Saturday early voting. The Associated Press and FOX 5 News contributed to this report, with previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports also used.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Big overhaul planned for Georgia elections: Bills aired in state Legislature's waning days
(Bottom right to left) Charlene McGowan, general counsel for the Georgia Secretary of State, and State Election Director Blake Evans urged Senate Ethics Committee members Wednesday to not ditch the current voter registration sharing database. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder Sweeping changes to election rules intended to increase paper ballot options, expand the powers of the State Election Board and remove the state from a voter registration sharing database are up for debate as the 2025 Georgia Legislature nears a close. The Senate Ethics Committee held a two hour hearing on the latest version of House Bill 397, which could mandate big changes to Georgia election procedures if signed into law. No vote was taken on the bill sponsored by Covington Republican Rep. Tim Fleming. The Republican backed election bill would prohibit Georgia from sharing voter information with third-party groups like the current participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center, known as ERIC The partnership allows Georgia to share updated voter rolls with 24 other states. Under HB 397, the Georgia elections board would evaluate the procedures and policies for withdrawing from ERIC. and provide recommendations to the Senate Ethics Committee and the House Governmental Affairs Committee by the end of this year. It would also give the Secretary of State the authority to make agreements with other states to share voter roll data. Secretary of State election officials asked legislators Wednesday to reconsider banning the state from participating in a multistate database they say helps efficiently maintain accurate voter rolls. Charlene McGowan, general counsel for the Georgia Secretary of State, said the proposals in HB 397 could undermine the states' ability to conduct meaningful and secure data matching with other states, whether it be through a state to state agreement or a multi state compact. 'This bill does severely restrict the Secretary's ability to share information, such as driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers with other states,' she said. 'The problem with that is that states rely on that type of information in order to conduct accurate matching.' The bill's Republican sponsors were also urged by the statewide association of county election officials to make changes to the bill that would require hand counting of ballots as voting precincts are closing down for the day. Fulton County is home to more than 750,000 registered voters, according to the secretary of state office's website. State law requires that local election superintendents report to the secretary of state and post publicly the total number of ballots cast both on Election Day and during early voting, including absentee ballots. Rebecca Anglin, the election director in Greene County, expressed concerns about the chain of custody and hand count of paper ballots at the precinct level, emphasizing the need for secure handling and timely reporting. The election overhaul legislation proposes giving the State Election Board more independence from the secretary of state's office by moving its administration under the state accounting office. The controversial state GOP-controlled board that is now controlled by three supporters of President Donald Trump could also be the body to hear appeals to a controversial mass voter challenge after complaints are settled by county election boards. 'This will allow for faster adjudication. If you start with them and then you disagree with the decision, then you'll go to the superior court,' Fleming said. Georgia Republican Party District Chairman Brad Carver said it's important that the State Election Board gets enough backing from the state to be fully staffed to afford more investigators and other support positions that can trim case backlogs and handle new roles ' He mentioned the significant expenses associated with voter challenges going to superior courts instead of election officials. Georgia election board majority that was praised by Trump resumes rulemaking push this week 'If you have an appellate authority in the State Election Board, you will have more consistent application to make sure that the laws are followed across the state by all 159 counties,' Carver said. Another provision expands board duties to allow custody of all state investigative reports and communications between the secretary of state and election superintendents. Fleming said the bill seeks to restore more autonomy to the state board that enforces election rule compliance. 'The State Election Board handles elections investigations and complaints, and having access to this information is necessary for them to do their job and for adjudication purposes,' Fleming said., 'This continues to return autonomy to the State Election Board.' State election officials could also spell out their rulemaking powers with proposed yearround authority to adopt election rules so long as they don't take effect within 60 days of an election. The Senate Ethics Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would allow Georgia voters to cast a hand marked paper ballot at polling places during early voting and on Election Day. The Senate Ethics Committee voted Wednesday in favor of Senate Bill 214, a proposal to give voters the ability to cast their votes in polling places using pen or pencils, which can now be used to complete absentee ballots. Sylvania Republican Max Burns' said the legislation gives voters during early voting and election days the option of paper ballots or the electronic touchscreen system that's been used for statewide elections since 2020. 'At the end of the day 214 is designed to provide us a path forward beyond the current environment and move to paper ballot hand marked paper ballot systems tabulated with an optical scan and then supported by a print on demand ballot system,' Burns said Burns said he expects modifications to the bill as he tries to usher it through the legislative process. If Burns can get his bill signed into law it will mark a big win for a movement that has long contended that hand marked paper ballots are a more transparent and safer than electronic machines. The state's electronic Dominion Voting System was rolled out statewide in 2019, but by that time the state was already involved in a legal battle with Coalition for Good Governance and other plaintiffs who argue that hand-marking ballots is the safest way to vote. The debate over electronic voting machines versus paper ballots later became the of focus of conspiracy theorists who blamed the Dominion's system for Republican President Donald Trump's loss to Joe Biden in 2020. Over the last couple of years, a prominent pro- paper ballot been led by VoterGa, a largely pro-Trump faction that has urged people to request that state officials get rid of the electronic voting system. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has defended the security of the voting machine system. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate panel to consider bill that hands Georgia lawmakers more say over State Election Board
Conservative Georgia State Election Board member Janelle King, second from left, voted Sept. 23 to have election board Executive Director Mike Coan. second from right, to look into the claims that led to the DeKalb County Republican Party alleging that several county election board's are not following the law for reviewing voter eligibility complaints. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder (file photo) A last-minute House election bill that advanced on Crossover Day last week would give new authority to the House speaker and Senate president to remove State Election Board members during the legislative offseason. If the Legislature approves the current version of House Bill 397, it would give the two chamber leaders powers to remove members from a board that was at the forefront of controversial election rulemaking in 2024. However, the architect behind the proposal for removing Georgia election board members, Atlanta Democratic Rep. Saira Draper, said she's not optimistic that the updated clause will remain in the final election bill expected to be crafted before the session ends April 4. On Feb. 18, Draper filed House Bill 501, which clarified state law by giving the House and Senate chamber leaders the same post-session authority to remove State Election Board members as they have to fill vacancies on the board. On Thursday, the House voted 159-13 in favor of a substitute passed out of the House Rules Committee that no longer included a provision that would give municipal election officials the choice to opt-out of advance voting for municipal elections on Saturdays. Draper said she believes the Republicans passed a HB 397 substitute that removed controversial Saturday voting language because the GOP leaders did not want to delay passing an election bill on the Crossover Day deadline for legislation to advance out of one chamber. Instead, they presented a measure that only included her proposal clarifying state law by giving House and Senate leaders the same ability to remove election board members as they currently have to appoint members while not in session. The provision would allow the House and Senate leaders to remove Georgia election officials that were selected by their respective chambers to fill a vacancy. 'I don't want to say I know this is going to happen, but my concern is (HB 397) is going to be used as a vehicle now to move whatever kind of election legislation they want to see,' Draper said. Draper said a number of her Democratic colleagues are in favor of finding other ways to reduce local election costs without cutting off access to Saturday voting. 'Democrats are very sympathetic to the idea that our election offices are struggling and have had over the years, a large number of costs thrust upon them,' she said. Covington Republican Rep. Tim Fleming's HB 397 is assigned to the Senate Ethics Committee, which has debated and passed key election bills over the past couple of years, including measures that would ban election officials from adopting an instant runoff system, a 2024 bill replacing the QR code that tabulates votes on paper ballots, and the controversial sweeping 2021 election law overhaul, Senate Bill 202. On Thursday evening as the clock ran out to advance bills on Crossover Day, Governmental Affairs Chairman Victor Anderson informed the House Rules Committee members about the last-minute changes to legislation that was intended to address critical procedural issues prior to the 2026 election. Anderson, a Cornelia Republican, said stripping down the bill was necessary to reach a consensus working with the Senate Ethics Committee to pass new election procedures this year so as not to 'put us in bind next year.' Natalie Crawford, executive director and founder of Georgia First, a nonprofit think tank and policy advocacy group, said her organization supports the election board removal procedure and the earlier provision giving municipal election officials the choice to opt-out of a Saturday voting day. The former Republican Habersham County Commissioner said her organization will continue monitoring proposals that the ethics committee could consider, including potentially new rules on the hand delivery on absentee ballots on and poll watcher access. 'We are great with the language as it is now. Obviously, we will be looking to see if there's any language that would potentially impede voting access,' Crawford said. 'Georgia First is pretty bullish that we do very well in Georgia with our elections. 'Now is probably a good time to kind of hold off on more legislative tinkering,' Crawford said. 'Let's get a good feel for what we have in place and allow confidence to be restored with voters without making any additional unnecessary changes Voting rights groups and lawmakers will also be watching to see if the final version of House Bill 397 expands the Senate president and House speaker's authority to remove State Election Board appointees while the Legislature is not in session. Last year, House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who are both Republicans, appointed two conservative election board members ahead of the November election. In January, the Senate approved Jones' choice to have former state Sen. Rick Jeffares serve on the board. Following the session, Burns' appointed former Georgia Republican Party deputy director Janelle King to the election board that investigates county election administration. The reshaped election board continued a trend of holding marathon board meetings often dominated by pro-Donald Trump activists lodging accusations of voting fraud and other voting irregularities stemming from false claims about widespread fraud costing Trump the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The board also faced lawsuits contending the three conservative members' rulemaking leading up to the Nov. 5 election was illegally usurping legislative authority. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill aims to hand powerful Georgia GOP lawmakers more say over makeup of State Election Board
Conservative Georgia State Election Board member Janelle King, second from left, voted Sept. 23 to have election board Executive Director Mike Coan. second from right, to look into the claims that led to the DeKalb County Republican Party alleging that several county election board's are not following the law for reviewing voter eligibility complaints. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder (file photo) A last-minute change to a House election bill that advanced on Crossover Day last week would give new authority to the House speaker and Senate president to remove State Election Board members during the legislative offseason. If the Legislature approves a final version of House Bill 397 giving the chamber leaders unilateral powers to remove board members, it would add a new layer in the power dynamics over a board that has been at the forefront of controversial election rulemaking since 2020. However, the architect behind the new proposal for removing Georgia election board members, Atlanta Democratic Rep. Saira Draper, said she's not optimistic that it will remain in the final version of the election bill expected to be crafted before the session ends April 4. On Feb. 18, Draper filed House Bill 501, which clarified state law by giving the House and Senate chamber leaders the same post-session authority to remove State Election Board members as they have to fill vacancies on the board. On Thursday, the House voted 159-13 in favor of a version passed out of the House Rules Committee that no longer included a provision that would give municipal election officials the choice to opt-out of advance voting for municipal elections on Saturdays. Draper said she believes the Republicans passed a HB 397 substitute that removed controversial Saturday voting language because the GOP leaders did not want to delay passing an election bill on the Crossover Day deadline for legislation to advance out of one chamber. Instead, they passed a measure that includes her proposal clarifying state law by giving House and Senate leaders the same ability to remove election board members as they currently have to appoint members while not in session. The provision would allow the House and Senate leaders to remove Georgia election officials that were selected by their respective chambers to fill a vacancy. 'I don't want to say I know this is going to happen, but my concern is it's going to be used as a vehicle now to move whatever kind of election legislation they want to see,' Draper said. Draper said her Democratic colleagues are in favor of finding other ways to reduce local election costs without cutting off access to Saturday voting. 'Democrats are very sympathetic to the idea that our election offices are struggling and have had over the years, a large number of costs thrust upon them,' she said. Covington Republican Rep. Tim Fleming's HB 397 is expected to be assigned to the Senate Ethics Committee, which has passed key election bills over the past couple of years, including measures that would ban election officials from adopting an instant runoff system, a 2024 bill replacing the QR code that tabulates votes on paper ballots, and the controversial sweeping 2021 election law overhaul, Senate Bill 202. On Thursday evening as the clock ran out to advance bills on Crossover Day, Governmental Affairs Chairman Victor Anderson informed the House Rules Committee members about the last-minute changes to legislation that was intended to address critical procedural issues prior to the 2026 election. Anderson, a Cornelia Republican, said stripping down the bill was necessary to reach a consensus working with the Senate Ethics Committee to pass new election procedures this year so as not to 'put us in bind next year.' Natalie Crawford, executive director and founder of Georgia First, a nonprofit think tank and policy advocacy group, said her organization supports the new election board removal procedure and the earlier provision giving municipal election officials the choice to opt-out of a Saturday voting day. She said her organization will continue monitoring proposals that the ethics committee could consider, including potentially new rules on the hand delivery on absentee ballots on and expanding poll watcher access. 'We are great with the language as it is now. Obviously, we will be looking to see if there's any language that would potentially impede voting access,' Crawford said. 'Georgia First is pretty bullish that we do very well in Georgia with our elections. 'Now is probably a good time to kind of hold off on more legislative tinkering,' Crawford said. 'Let's get a good feel for what we have in place and allow confidence to be restored with voters without making any additional unnecessary changes.' After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November Voting rights groups and lawmakers will also be watching to see if the final version of House Bill 397 expands the Senate president and House speaker's authority to remove State Election Board appointees while the Legislature is not in session. Last year, House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who are both Republicans, appointed two conservative election board members ahead of the November election. In January, the Senate approved Jones' choice to have former state Sen. Rick Jeffares serve on the board. In May, Burns' appointed former Georgia Republican Party deputy director Janelle King to the election board that investigates county election administration. The reshaped election board continued a trend of holding marathon board meetings often dominated by pro-Donald Trump activists lodging accusations of widespread voting fraud and other voting irregularities stemming from false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The board also faced lawsuits contending the three conservative members' rulemaking leading up to the Nov. 5 election was illegally usurping legislative authority. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
