GA Code § 21-2-493 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 21 - Elections|Chapter 2 - Elections and Primaries Generally|Article 12 - Returns|§ 21-2-493. Computation, Canvassing, and Tabulation of Returns; Investigation of Discrepancies in Vote Counts; Recount Procedure; Pilot Program for Posting of Digital Images of Scanned Paper Ballots; Certification of Returns; Change in Returns

  The superintendent shall, after the close of the polls on the day of a primary or election, at his or her office or at some other convenient public place at the county seat or in the municipality, of which due notice shall have been given as provided by Code Section 21-2-492, publicly commence the computation and canvassing of the returns and continue until all absentee ballots received by the close of the polls, including those cast by advance voting, and all ballots cast on the day of the primary or election have been counted and tabulated and the results of such tabulation released to the public and, then, continuing with provisional ballots as provided in Code Sections 21-2-418 and 21-2-419 and those absentee ballots as provided in subparagraph (a)(1)(G) of Code Section 21-2-386 from day to day until completed. For this purpose, the superintendent may organize his or her assistants into sections, each of whom may simultaneously proceed with the computation and canvassing of the returns from various precincts of the county or municipality in the manner provided by this Code section. Upon the completion of such computation and canvassing, the superintendent shall tabulate the figures for the entire county or municipality and sign, announce, and attest the same, as required by this Code section.   The superintendent, before computing the votes cast in any precinct, shall compare the registration figure with the certificates returned by the poll officers showing the number of persons who voted in each precinct or the number of ballots cast. If, upon consideration by the superintendent of the returns and certificates before him or her from any precinct, it shall appear that the total vote returned for any candidate or candidates for the same office or nomination or on any question exceeds the number of electors in such precinct or exceeds the total number of persons who voted in such precinct or the total number of ballots cast therein, such excess shall be deemed a discrepancy and palpable error and shall be investigated by the superintendent; and no votes shall be recorded from such precinct until an investigation shall be had. Such excess shall authorize the summoning of the poll officers to appear immediately with any primary or election papers in their possession. The superintendent shall then examine all the registration and primary or election documents whatever relating to such precinct in the presence of representatives of each party, body, and interested candidate. Such examination may, if the superintendent deems it necessary, include a recount or recanvass of the votes of that precinct and a report of the facts of the case to the district attorney where such action appears to be warranted.   In precincts in which paper ballots have been used, the superintendent may require the production of the ballot box and the recount of the ballots contained in such ballot box, either generally or respecting the particular office, nomination, or question as to which the excess exists, in the discretion of the superintendent, and may require the correction of the returns in accordance with the result of such recount. If the ballot box is found to contain more ballots than there are electors registered in such precinct or more ballots than the number of voters who voted in such precinct at such primary or election, the superintendent may, in his or her discretion, exclude the poll of that precinct, either as to all offices, candidates, questions, or parties and bodies or as to any particular offices, candidates, questions, or parties and bodies, as to which such excess exists.   In precincts in which voting machines have been used, the superintendent may require a recanvass of the votes recorded on the machines used in the precinct, as provided in Code Section 21-2-495.   In precincts in which paper ballots have been used, the general returns made by the poll officers from the various precincts shall be read one after another in the usual order, slowly and audibly, by one of the assistants who shall, in each case of a return from a precinct in which ballots were used, read therefrom the number of ballots issued, spoiled, canceled, and cast, respectively, whereupon the assistant having charge of the records of the superintendent showing the number of ballots furnished for each precinct, including the number of stubs and unused ballots and spoiled and canceled ballots returned, shall publicly announce the number of the same respectively; and, unless it appears by such number or calculations therefrom that such records and such general return correspond, no further returns shall be read from the latter until all discrepancies are explained to the satisfaction of the superintendent.   In precincts in which voting machines have been used, there shall be read from the general return the identifying number or other designation of each voting machine used and the numbers registered on the protective counter or device on each machine prior to the opening of the polls and immediately after the close of the same, whereupon the assistant having charge of the records of the superintendent showing the number registered on the protective counter or device of each voting machine prior to delivery at the polling place shall publicly announce the numbers so registered; and, unless it appears that such records and such general return correspond, no further returns shall be read from the latter until any and all discrepancies are explained to the satisfaction of the superintendent.   In precincts in which paper ballots have been used, when the records agree with such returns regarding the number of ballots and the number of votes recorded for each candidate, such votes for each candidate shall be read by an assistant slowly, audibly, and in an orderly manner from the general return which has been returned unsealed; and the figures announced shall be compared by other assistants with the general return which has been returned sealed. The figures announced for all precincts shall be compared by one of the assistants with the tally papers from the respective precincts. If any discrepancies are discovered, the superintendent shall examine all of the return sheets, tally papers, and other papers in his or her possession relating to the same precinct. If the tally papers and sealed general return sheet agree, the unsealed general return shall be immediately corrected to conform thereto. In every other case the superintendent shall immediately cause the ballot box of the precinct to be opened and the vote therein to be recounted in the presence of interested candidates or their representatives; and, if the recount shall not be sufficient to correct the error, the superintendent may summon the poll officers to appear immediately with all election papers in their possession.   In precincts in which voting machines have been used, when the records agree with the returns regarding the number registered on the voting machine, the votes recorded for each candidate shall be read by an assistant slowly, audibly, and in an orderly manner from the general return sheet which has been returned unsealed; and the figures announced shall be compared by other assistants with the duplicate return sheet which has been returned sealed. If the voting machine is of the type equipped with a mechanism for printing paper proof sheets, such general and duplicate return sheets shall also be compared with such proof sheets, which have been returned as aforesaid. If any discrepancies are discovered, the superintendent shall examine all of the return sheets, proof sheets, and other papers in his or her possession relating to the same precinct. Such proof sheets shall be deemed to be prima-facie evidence of the result of the primary or election and to be prima facie accurate; and, if the proper proof sheets, properly identified, shall be mutually consistent and if the general and duplicate returns or either of such returns from such precinct shall not correspond with such proof sheets, they shall be corrected so as to correspond with such proof sheets in the absence of allegation of specific fraud or error proved to the satisfaction of the superintendent.   If any error or fraud is discovered, the superintendent shall compute and certify the votes justly, regardless of any fraudulent or erroneous returns presented to him or her, and shall report the facts to the appropriate district attorney for action.   The superintendent shall see that the votes shown by each absentee ballot are added to the return received from the precinct of the elector casting such ballot.   As the returns from each precinct are read, computed, and found to be correct or corrected as aforesaid, they shall be recorded on the blanks prepared for the purpose until all the returns from the various precincts which are entitled to be counted shall have been duly recorded; then they shall be added together, announced, and attested by the assistants who made and computed the entries respectively and shall be signed by the superintendent. The consolidated returns shall then be certified by the superintendent in the manner required by this chapter. Such returns shall be certified by the superintendent not later than 5:00 P.M. on the Monday following the date on which such election was held and such returns shall be immediately transmitted to the Secretary of State.   In such case where the results of an election contest change the returns so certified, a corrected return shall be certified and filed by the superintendent which makes such corrections as the court orders.    (j.1)The Secretary of State shall create a pilot program for the posting of digital images of the scanned paper ballots created by the voting system.   (Ga. L. 1943, p. 347, § 1; Code 1933, § 34-1504, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, Ex. Sess., p. 26, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 292, § 1; Ga. L. 1970, p. 347, § 29; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1512, § 5; Ga. L. 1983, p. 140, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 34, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1, § 5; Ga. L. 1992, p. 56, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 590, § 37; Ga. L. 1998, p. 295, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 269, § 25; Ga. L. 2003, p. 517, § 55; Ga. L. 2008, p. 817, § 4/HB 1098; Ga. L. 2011, p. 683, § 18/SB 82; Ga. L. 2019, p. 7, § 40/HB 316; Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 41/SB 202.)    The 2019 amendment,  effective April 2, 2019, in subsection (k), in the third sentence, substituted "second Friday" for "Monday" in the middle and added the proviso at the end.    The 2021 amendment,  effective March 25, 2021, in subsection (a), substituted "after the close of the polls on the day of a primary" for "at or before 12:00 Noon on the day following the primary" near the beginning of the first sentence, substituted "continue until all absentee ballots received by the close of the polls, including those cast by advance voting, and all ballots cast on the day of the primary or election have been counted and tabulated and the results of such tabulation released to the public and, then, continuing with provisional ballots as provided in Code Sections 21-2-418 and 21-2-419 and those absentee ballots as provided in subparagraph (a)(1)(G) of Code Section 21-2-386" for "continue the same" near the end of the first sentence, and, in the second sentence, inserted a comma following "For this purpose" at the beginning, and substituted "whom" for "which" near the middle; added subsection (j.1); and, in subsection (k), substituted "Monday" for "second Friday" near the middle of the last sentence and deleted "; provided, however, that such certification date may be extended by the Secretary of State in his or her discretion if necessary to complete a precertification audit as provided in Code Section 21-2-498" following "State” at the end.   Editor's notes.   - Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 1/SB 202, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Election Integrity Act of 2021."'   Ga. L. 2021, p. 14, § 2/SB 202, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "The General Assembly finds and declares that:   "(1) Following the 2018 and 2020 elections, there was a significant lack of confidence in Georgia election systems, with many electors concerned about allegations of rampant voter suppression and many electors concerned about allegations of rampant voter fraud;   "(2) Many Georgia election processes were challenged in court, including the subjective signature-matching requirements, by Georgians on all sides of the political spectrum before and after the 2020 general election;   "(3) The stress of the 2020 elections, with a dramatic increase in absentee-by-mail ballots and pandemic restrictions, demonstrated where there were opportunities to update existing processes to reduce the burden on election officials and boost voter confidence;   "(4) The changes made in this legislation in 2021 are designed to address the lack of elector confidence in the election system on all sides of the political spectrum, to reduce the burden on election officials, and to streamline the process of conducting elections in Georgia by promoting uniformity in voting. Several examples will help explain how these goals are achieved;   "(5) The broad discretion allowed to local officials for advance voting dates and hours led to significant variations across the state in total number of hours of advance voting, depending on the county. More than 100 counties have never offered voting on Sunday and many counties offered only a single day of weekend voting. Requiring two Saturday voting days and two optional Sunday voting days will dramatically increase the total voting hours for voters across the State of Georgia, and all electors in Georgia will have access to multiple opportunities to vote in person on the weekend for the first time;   "(6) Some counties in 2020 received significant infusions of grant funding for election operations, while other counties received no such funds. Promoting uniformity in the distribution of funds to election operations will boost voter confidence and ensure that there is no political advantage conferred by preferring certain counties over others in the distribution of funds;   "(7) Elections in Georgia are administered by counties, but that can lead to problems for voters in counties with dysfunctional election systems. Counties with long-term problems of lines, problems with processing of absentee ballots, and other challenges in administration need accountability, but state officials are limited in what they are able to do to address those problems. Ensuring there is a mechanism to address local election problems will promote voter confidence and meet the goal of uniformity;   "(8) Elections are a public process and public participation is encouraged by all involved, but the enthusiasm of some outside groups in sending multiple absentee ballot applications in 2020, often with incorrectly filled-in voter information, led to significant confusion by electors. Clarifying the rules regarding absentee ballot applications will build elector confidence while not sacrificing the opportunities for electors to participate in the process;   "(9) The lengthy absentee ballot process also led to elector confusion, including electors who were told they had already voted when they arrived to vote in person. Creating a definite period of absentee voting will assist electors in understanding the election process while also ensuring that opportunities to vote are not diminished, especially when many absentee ballots issued in the last few days before the election were not successfully voted or were returned late;   "(10) Opportunities for delivering absentee ballots to a drop box were first created by the State Election Board as a pandemic response. The drop boxes created by rule no longer existed in Georgia law when the emergency rules that created them expired. The General Assembly considered a variety of options and constructed a system that allows the use of drop boxes, while also ensuring the security of the system and providing options in emergency situations;   "(11) The lengthy nine-week runoffs in 2020 were exhausting for candidates, donors, and electors. By adding ranked choice voting for military and overseas voters, the run-off period can be shortened to a more manageable period for all involved, easing the burden on election officials and on electors;   "(12) Counting absentee ballots in 2020 took an incredibly long time in some counties. Creating processes for early processing and scanning of absentee ballots will promote elector confidence by ensuring that results are reported quickly;   "(13) The sanctity of the precinct was also brought into sharp focus in 2020, with many groups approaching electors while they waited in line. Protecting electors from improper interference, political pressure, or intimidation while waiting in line to vote is of paramount importance to protecting the election system and ensuring elector confidence;   "(14) Ballot duplication for provisional ballots and other purposes places a heavy burden on election officials. The number of duplicated ballots has continued to rise dramatically from 2016 through 2020. Reducing the number of duplicated ballots will significantly reduce the burden on election officials and creating bipartisan panels to conduct duplication will promote elector confidence;   "(15) Electors voting out of precinct add to the burden on election officials and lines for other electors because of the length of time it takes to process a provisional ballot in a precinct. Electors should be directed to the correct precinct on election day to ensure that they are able to vote in all elections for which they are eligible;   "(16) In considering the changes in 2021, the General Assembly heard hours of testimony from electors, election officials, and attorneys involved in voting. The General Assembly made significant modifications through the legislative process as it weighed the various interests involved, including adding further weekend voting, changing parameters for out-of-precinct voting, and adding transparency for ballot images; and   "(17) While each of the changes in this legislation in 2021 stands alone and is severable under Code Section 1-1-3, the changes in total reflect the General Assembly's considered judgment on the changes required to Georgia's election system to make it 'easy to vote and hard to cheat,' applying the lessons learned from conducting an election in the 2020 pandemic."   Administrative Rules and Regulations.   - Spoiled ballot definition, Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Georgia Election Code, Absentee Voting, § 183-1-14-.07.   Law reviews.   - For article on the 2019 amendment of this Code section, see 36 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 81 (2019). For note on the 2001 amendment to this Code section, see 18 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 96 (2001).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   Certification of election results.    - Trial court did not err in ruling that certification by a county board of elections and registration triggered the five-day filing period of O.C.G.A. § 21-2-524(a) because the five-day period of O.C.G.A. § 21-2-524(a) for filing a petition to contest the election results for a county office began to run when the county superintendent had officially consolidated and certified the returns for the particular office; because the Secretary of State only certifies election returns for federal and state offices, the sole election official specified in the Georgia Code as having responsibility for consolidation and certification of election results for other offices is the local superintendent. Broughton v. Douglas County Bd. of Elections, 286 Ga. 528, 690 S.E.2d 141 (2010).   OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL   Certification of election and primary results.   - Election supervisor of county board of registrations and elections cannot certify election and primary results. 1976 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 76-73.   RESEARCH REFERENCES   Am. Jur. 2d.   - 26 Am. Jur. 2d, Elections, § 365 et seq.   C.J.S.   - 29 C.J.S., Elections, §§ 400, 401, 405 et seq.