WARE COUNTY, Ga. – More than 100 new laws went into effect in Georgia, and several of those laws have a direct impact on how polling places operate.
Georgia set new standards ahead of the November election.
As of July 1, polling stations may have fewer voting machines — based on expected turnout.
It’s a new law that Ware County’s Supervisor of Elections Carlos Nelson said is beneficial because there’s no longer a requirement for a fixed number of machines at polling sites.
“Actually that is one of the bills that the elections of supervisors and superintendents around the state pushed for because the last bill in fact was set in stone to 250 voters per booth,” Nelson said. “But a lot of people vote early, a lot of people vote absentee, and turnout isn’t where we would like to be.”
RELATED | Georgia Gov. Kemp signs new voting regulations ahead of general election
Another new law gives poll workers closer access to the vote-counting process.
This also includes ballots being watermarked, before they’re scanned, as a part of a new security measure.
Once they’re scanned, the Secretary of State can post them online to show that the vote is secure, but ballot images will not include any personal voter information.
“One way or another I just don’t think it was needed. But whether it is watermarked or just a regular security paper used in the past, the election is still going to be secure throughout Ware County and the state,” Nelson said.
Georgia is a key battleground state.
Before President Biden’s win in 2020, a Democrat hadn’t won in the Peach State since Bill Clinton in 1992.
But voters are not fully confident in the election process.
Only 57% of Georgia voters believe the upcoming presidential election will be fair and accurate while 43% question it, according to a new poll by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
MORE | Georgia lawmakers approve new election rules that could impact 2024 presidential contest
Nelson doesn’t think much can be done to change people’s views.
“People will believe what they want to believe. But elections are secure throughout Ware County and throughout Georgia,” Nelson said. “We continue to invite people to equipment testing to the audit, and actually no one shows up. But then the same people complain about ‘How we know if this is secure?’”
Two other changes require all poll workers to be U.S. citizens and that voters can be removed from the voter registration list if they die, register to vote somewhere else, or if tax exemptions prove their primary home is not where they are voting.
Nelson said he does not expect this to have much impact on Ware County.