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Elections director summarizes legislative changes, ballot-equipment concerns and a state voter purge
Summary
Elections Director Fall briefed the board on recently passed and pending state legislation, consequences for ballot printers and ballot-marking devices, and a state-sponsored voter-file purge; board members asked the office to secure written guidance from the Secretary of State.
Elections Director Fall told the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration that three election-related bills have passed the 2025 session and are waiting signature, and that several omnibus bills and other measures remain active for the next session.
Fall summarized enacted and pending measures by bill number: SB199 (campaign finance filings moved to the state ethics board), HB296 (codifying that virtual driver’s licenses may not be used to vote in person), and HB426 (changing election of chief magistrate judge from partisan to nonpartisan). She also highlighted pending omnibus bills (House Bill 397 and Senate Bill 175) and other measures under discussion, including bills about hand‑marked ballots.
Board members asked how recent legislation will affect Cobb’s voting equipment. Fall explained that a 2024 law removing QR codes from ballots would require devices to print “full‑face” ballots rather than QR-coded cards. She said the county’s current printers and device configuration routinely handle ballots longer than legal-size paper; switching to full-face printing could require software changes and replacement printers. "My understanding is it does not require an upgrade on the software...it is a matter of being able to flip a switch," one board member said, and Director Fall said the county is still verifying the technical and funding implications with the Secretary of State’s office.
Several public commenters and board members raised concerns this meeting about the state’s voter-file maintenance and a reported summer purge. Director Fall said the state is planning an early-summer purge affecting roughly 400,000 voter records statewide; Cobb County's portion of that purge is about 16,000 records identified as meeting the state’s inactivity criteria. Fall summarized the county’s voter-registration verification process: matches to the Department of Driver Services for citizenship and age, felony checks, and probate checks for competency before placing registrants on the active voter roll.
The board also flagged a State Election Board rule-making notice that would require counties to produce ballot images and cast-vote records in a specified format within 72 hours of a request after polls close; the board said it would review that proposal through its legislative committee. Director Fall said the Secretary of State typically follows up the session with written guidance and training; board members asked that any formal deviations from code be provided in writing. "If you receive it, please share it with the entire board," one member said.
No board action was taken on legislative matters during the meeting.
