Camden County elections office previews state bill changes, receives ballot proofs and approves advanced voting schedule

At a regular meeting, the Camden County Board of Elections approved an advanced in-person voting schedule for the May 19, 2026 general primary and heard two major operational updates from elections staff about state legislation and ballot preparations.

The board voted to adopt the proposed advanced voting schedule after Vernon Higgins moved to approve it and Joe Stell seconded; Chair called the motion carried. Rock, the elections office supervisor, and Dennis from the elections staff provided the briefing that preceded the vote.

Why this matters: the schedule sets multiweek advanced voting locations and extended final-week hours intended to accommodate voter traffic; staff also reported receiving ballot proofs and outlined plans for public logic and accuracy (L&A) testing. Separately, Dennis summarized key changes in Georgia Senate Bill 214 that could reshape how counties obtain and deploy voting equipment.

Rock reported the county’s current registration totals and budget position. "As of today, March 19, we have 44,284 registered voters," Rock said, adding that 39,222 are active and 5,062 inactive. In the month-to-month comparison staff recorded a net increase of 172 registrants from last month (the transcript also records this as "a 39% increase"). Rock also presented the month-end spending figure: "We have spent $263,162.38, which represents 51.28% of our budget." No board members asked follow-up questions on the financial report.

On operational planning, Rock described proposed advanced in-person voting sites and hours: the Kingsland Annex would be open for three weeks and two Saturdays; Woodbine would be open April 27–May 9 (including both Saturdays); and Saint Mary's/Welcome Center would be open May 9–May 15 with extended weekday hours during the final week. "Saturdays will be 9 to 5," Rock said, and the final week will open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. The board approved the schedule on a motion by Vernon Higgins, seconded by Joe Stell.

Dennis summarized recent action on Senate Bill 214, saying it had passed out of committee and carried language the elections office supports. He said the bill now delays implementation of any QR-code ban until January 2028, creates a selection committee that will include two election-official representatives to pick a new voting system, and defines "ballot on demand" printing as the county’s new voting system option. "It establishes the secretary of state as the purchaser and the distributor of elections equipment," Dennis said, noting the state would cover the initial round of equipment purchases. Dennis also reported that ballot-marking devices (BMDs) would be replaced with models that do not print QR codes to meet ADA needs and that audit administration would shift from the secretary of state's office to the state election board. He emphasized that while committee action is a positive step, the bill still must clear the full legislative process and could face conference negotiation or other hurdles.

On ballot preparations, Dennis said Camden County had received the ballot proofs for the May election and completed a first round of checks. "All that's left to do now is to send that back to the secretary of state, our ballot builder, to issue some minor corrections, but the underlying data on the election is 100% correct," he said. Staff plan to advertise the county's L&A testing in the Tribune, post notices on the county website and social media, and invite the public to observe and ask questions during testing.

During questions, board members asked whether the county has an estimated cost for staff training and poll-worker training related to any system conversion; Dennis said no estimate is available yet but staff will analyze training and poll-worker needs. Members also discussed legislative timing and the possibility of conference negotiation between House and Senate.

The meeting closed with the chair listing upcoming dates (the state conference in Athens, poll-worker training and a declared Good Friday county holiday) and reminding the public about the code of ethics for comments. A member of the public asked for confirmation that Saint Mary's would host the May 9 Saturday session; staff and the chair confirmed the location.

Votes at a glance: the board adopted the meeting agenda, approved the February 19 minutes, and approved the advanced in-person voting schedule for the May 19, 2026 general primary. The chair adjourned the meeting.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for April 16 at 4:00 p.m.