Georgia voting rules: How ballots are cast and counted across the state – FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia voting rules: How ballots are cast and counted across the state  FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia election law enforces continuous tabulation procedures, strict voting machine checks, and mandatory post-election audits across all counties.Poll workers must begin tallying paper ballots immediately once polls close and voting lists are secured under Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 21-2-437. The canvass proceeds without adjournment or postponement until counting concludes.Poll workers open ballot boxes in the presence of others, count the total ballots, and read candidate names and ballot questions aloud in unobstructed public view. Anyone handling ballots is barred from holding pens, pencils, stamps, or any marking devices.In primary elections, workers separate and count ballots and tally sheets by political party. Once the count finishes, officials certify the results and record general returns in ink, documenting total ballots received, ballots cast, voided ballots, spoiled or canceled ballots, blank ballots, and vote counts for each candidate.Ballots that reveal a voter's identity are void, except for challenged ballots that may be contested later.

Votes marked with anything other than a pen or pencil, or marked for more candidates than permitted for an office, are invalid for those contests.A voter's choices are typically indicated by a check mark or cross, but state law requires that any ballot displaying clear, unambiguous voter intent must be counted. Votes cast for certified write-in candidates must be counted if placed in the designated space, regardless