Introduction
This project examines the critical strain caused by underfunding in Georgia elections. In Georgia, elections are administered at the county level, but governed by the state. In recent years, the state has repeatedly passed complex election-related legislation without providing funding for counties to comply with the new legal requirements. As a result, Georgia counties have been forced to make difficult tradeoffs to stay legally compliant and deliver elections for their voters. Today, the state’s elections infrastructure is showing clear signs of strain.
We spoke with county election supervisors from across the state to learn how underfunding has impacted their election administration. We heard these overarching themes:
- The counties cover a wide array of equipment costs but are still in need of support purchasing basic items like printers, batteries and thermal tape.
- The continually shifting legislative landscape has caused issues with budgeting.
- Poll worker recruitment and retention are continuing challenges.
The research, conducted in equal partnership with the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, is presented through a series of policy briefs. We include testimony from administrators about what they’re seeing on the ground, which informs our policy recommendations on how Georgia can best support its voters.
We call on the state of Georgia to provide direct, targeted funding to counties to support poll worker recruitment, equipment maintenance and voter education. The state should also ensure a stable legislative environment for election administration in Georgia.
We call on the federal government to appropriate robust funding for Georgia election administration each year and require that some funds pass through to localities.
We hope readers find the following information interesting, instructive and actionable. The details of democracy matter.
Image at top: by the SPLC