Georgia
Georgia
GradeB
Year2025
TierBottom Tier

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Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

Following years of aggressive legislative restrictions, the Georgia General Assembly’s 2025 session was comparatively muted, producing only a minor adjustment mandating physical identification cards for voting. However, the focus of restrictive policy has shifted to the regulatory arena: The State Board of Elections continues to advance sweeping rule changes that threaten to complicate administration and impede access. Balancing this legislative lull against regulatory risks, Georgia received a B.

Looking Back

Where Georgia Started at the Beginning of 2025

  • Automatic Voter Registration: Partial AVR
  • Online Voter Registration: DMV ID
  • Same-Day Registration: No
  • Restoration of Rights: Parole and/or Probation Disenfranchisement
  • Vote by Mail: No-Excuse
  • Electronic Registration Information Center Member: Yes
  • Early Voting Opportunities: Regular Ballot Early Voting
  • ID Requirements: Strict Photo ID

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Georgia as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2025 activity against other bottom tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

  • COVI (2024): 35th
  • EPI Score (2022): 11th

2025: This Past Year

Legislative Action:

The General Assembly passed legislation to explicitly prohibit the use of mobile ID for voting purposes. The Senate also passed a resolution to set up a study committee to review the state’s laws on felon disenfranchisement.

  • HB 296 requires driver’s licenses that are used as voter identification to be presented in a physical format.
  • SR 429 creates the “Senate Addressing Felony Disenfranchisement” study committee to take a look at the felon disenfranchisement clause in the state’s constitution and review “its ongoing relevance in today’s society.” The committee will consider potential reforms and make recommendations on suggested actions the Legislature could take.
  • At the end of the 2025 session, House Speaker Burns announced the creation of The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures to study and evaluate Georgia’s current laws, policies and procedures for administering Georgia elections over the interim and make a plan for 2026. The committee was also tasked with reviewing the system of statewide and local elected officials and boards that oversee election administration.

    • Executive Action:

  • For yet another year, the State Election Board proposed sweeping rule changes to the state’s election system. Most recently, the board voted to move forward with proposed rules to suggest the State Legislature eliminate the state’s existing touchscreen voting systems and end no-excuse absentee voting in the state. This comes after the Georgia Supreme Court struck down four of the board’s 2025 proposed rules earlier this year. At that time, the Court found that the board exceeded its authority and encroached on the Legislature’s lawmaking authority under the state constitution.
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