Georgia election board rejects rule change on using hand-marked paper ballots

A voting machine and voters are shown at a polling location for an election
Voters cast their vote at the Metropolitan branch of the Fulton County Public Library on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

Matthew Pearson / WABE

Updated on Dec. 10, 2025, at 12:26 p.m.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s State Election Board on Wednesday rejected a proposal defining when hand-marked paper ballots could be used in place of the state’s touchscreen voting machines.

Opponents said the rule would have overstepped the board’s legal authority and could have created an escape hatch for widespread use of paper ballots when state lawmakers mandated the use of the ballot-marking devices.