State Election Board urges restoration of funding after clearing backlog ahead of election year

The state election board's executive director told the Appropriations subcommittee that the agency has cleared a backlog of roughly 315 cases since June and asked the Senate to restore budget cuts made by the House.

The director said the House recommended a roughly $544,000 reduction and that the board can function at the $1.389 million level approved previously. "If you cut the state election board in an election year... you're really striking at the heart of freedom in Georgia," he said, urging senators to restore the funding so the agency can adjudicate complaints and support elections.

He explained the board purchased a tracking software to manage complaints but currently lacks staff to enter data, likening the situation to "buying a Cadillac but not having anybody to drive the car." He requested funding to hire a data‑entry specialist and to secure additional legal counsel so the board is not dependent on lawyers who also represent other state actors.

Lawmakers pressed for specifics on the dollar amount needed; the director repeated the request to restore the budget to $1,389,000 and cited the agency's recent progress in reducing backlog as evidence that the funds are needed to sustain operations in an election year.