ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s State Election Board could take over county election offices under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate.
A House committee also approved a wide-ranging election bill that would limit counties’ ability to hold early voting on weekends.
Senate Bill 89 passed on a 35-18 vote, sending it to the House for more work. The measure is one of a barrage of bills Republicans are pushing, claiming Georgia needs major reforms after last year’s elections. Democrats says Republicans are perpetuating former President Donald Trump’s lies about election fraud and restricting voting to ensure GOP control.
The measure creates a new election official, reporting to the board, that could intervene in “low-performing” county election offices. The state election board would also create the criteria for what constitutes an underperforming county.
If a county was found to be underperforming, the state would pay for an evaluation. If the county fails or refuses to make changes within 90 days, the state could take over a county’s elections.