As of February 25, SB 568 looks like a bill that will shake up elections in Georgia (in a good way) starting in the Fall. We have been told that it will pass the Senate before Crossover Day. Here are a few of the bill’s Top Ten most notable features.
1. Voter List Becomes Public Before Voting Begins
One of the most consequential changes:
- The official list of eligible voters must be completed at least five days before advance voting
- That list is explicitly declared a public record
Why this matters:
This formalizes public access to the voter rolls immediately before voting starts. Many of us have had concerns that the voter list is not properly ‘frozen’ before the election begins.
2. Heavy Civil Fines for Registrars not following the law to remove registrations
Registrars (County Election Boards) could face:
- Up to $10,000 per registration not properly removed
- Applies after a successful voter challenge
Why this is significant:
Applies to both ‘229’ and ‘230’ challenges, this puts boards on notice that these challenges are subject to real scrutiny and potential consequences for non-compliance.
3. Major Voting System Shift (Post July 1, 2026)
Georgia elections would move toward:
✔ Optical scanning system
✔ Preprinted hand-marked paper ballots
✔ Infrared counterfeit ballot detection
Most important clause:
The text portion of the ballot becomes the official vote, not QR codes or machine coding.
Why this matters:
This is arguably the biggest structural change:
- Removes reliance on QR-encoded ballot interpretation
- Institutes hand-marked ballots
- Turns on special infrared scanners to help ensure only valid ballots
4. Ballot Design Changes
Ballots must include:
- A solid line connecting candidate names to ovals
- Visible watermark
- Serialized ballot identifier
Why this matters:
- Serialized ballots ensure that ballots cannot be inserted (or removed) without leaving an obvious trail.
5. Precinct-Assigned Advance Voting Locations
If multiple advance voting sites are used:
- Each precinct must be assigned a specific advance voting location
- Voters may only vote at their designated site
Why this is a big operational change:
Currently, advance voting often functions county-wide. This would:
- Reduce flexibility for voters, but…
- Simplify the task (and reduce the cost) of distributing pre-printed ballots during advanced voting
6. Posting List of Who Voted (Numbered List of Voters)
After polls close, jurisdictions must post:
✔ Time-stamped list of electors who cast ballots
Secretary of State must:
✔ Maintain archival database
✔ Lists added within one hour
Why this stands out:
Georgia already allows voter history access, but this:
- Speeds publication dramatically
- Makes posting mandatory
- Standardizes statewide archival storage
7. Digital Ballot Images Required
Statewide posting of:
✔ Scanned ballot images (≥ 200 DPI)
✔ Cast vote records
✔ Security logs
✔ System logs
Deadline:
✔ Second Friday after election
Why this is important:
This significantly expands public election data transparency and will encourage and assist independent audits / analysis
8. Recounts Become Manual Hand Counts
When margins ≤ 2%:
✔ Recount = manual hand count of ALL ballots
Why this matters:
This removes scanner-only recounts and guarantees physical review.
Implications:
- Higher confidence recounts
- More candidates can request recount (previous threshold was 0.5%)
9. Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA) Adjustments
Changes include:
✔ Gradually tightening risk limits (8% → 6% → 5%)
✔ Audits conducted by manual inspection of ballots
✔ Secretary of State removed from audit role
Oversight moves to:
✔ State Election Board
Why this is politically & administratively significant:
This shifts authority and reduces SOS involvement — a meaningful governance change.
10. SOS role in elections reduced
One of the biggest statements occurs near the end of the bill:
“The Secretary of State shall have no role in conducting, overseeing, or administering the provisions of this Code section, unless requested by the State Election Board.”
This moves much of the oversight of the election away from the Secretary of State (an elected official) and to the State Election Board, where it belongs.
To read this bill in its entirety, visit the Georgia General Assembly’s very nice bill lookup website – https://www.legis.ga.gov/