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Subcommittee approves bill to give certain voters priority at polls; age threshold lowered to 70
Summary
House Bill 324 would provide preference during early and regular voting for people who are blind, deaf, amputees, pregnant, accompanied by young children or by children with special needs, and older voters. The subcommittee approved the bill with an amendment lowering the age threshold to 70.
Representative Ray Martinez presented House Bill 324, a committee substitute aimed at creating preferential treatment during early and regular voting for specified voters. “Basically, what this is is preference of treatment during advance and regular voting for certain hours of, people that are blind, deaf, amputee, pregnant, accompanied by children of 5 years and younger, and accompanied by children with special needs regardless of age and 75 years and older,” Martinez said.
Supporters told the subcommittee the measure is intended to reduce barriers created by long wait times. Marcy Rubinson of the Georgia Association of Voting Registrars and Elections Officials said the group appreciates the bill and that local election officials worked with the sponsor. “We appreciate representative Martinez bringing this bill. We appreciate him working with us, and we think that this bill will help ensure seamless, early voting and election‑day voting,” Rubinson said.
Public commenters including Lana Goitia Paz of All Voting Is Local and Rachel Lastinger of the ACLU of Georgia urged support, emphasizing that short waits can be a significant barrier to some voters. “Saturday voting is one of the only chances folks get to have their voices heard,” Lana Goitia Paz said during later debate on a different elections bill; in the HB 324 discussion she described line‑waiting burdens for caregivers.
During the subcommittee discussion, Chairman Gullett proposed an amendment to lower the older‑voter preference from 75 to 70 years of age; the committee approved that amendment and instructed legislative counsel to update the bill title to conform to the amendment. The sponsor said the measure includes preference for those “accompanied by one or more children with special needs regardless of the age of such child,” and indicated they will seek legislative‑counsel drafting clarification if needed before full committee.
The subcommittee voted to advance the bill as amended to full committee.
Votes at a glance: Motion to “do pass” carried after adoption of amendment to change the age threshold from 75 to 70; amendment and title conforming change were approved by voice vote.
