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Kemp signs bill for time off during early voting and more election audits

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed into law Senate Bill 129, which gives voters up to two hours off to cast their ballots during early voting. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed into law Senate Bill 129, which gives voters up to two hours off to cast their ballots during early voting. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)
By
May 5, 2023

Workers in Georgia can take up to two hours off to cast a ballot during early voting, under a bill Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law Thursday. The law also requires more frequent audits of election results.

The new law expands on an existing statute that guarantees two hours of unpaid voting time for workers on Election Day.

“This bill would further empower Georgians to participate in one of the most important civic duties,” said state Sen. Rick Williams, a Republican from Milledgeville and the sponsor of Senate Bill 129.

ExploreLive: Georgia bill tracker 2023

Workers seeking time off will have to notify their employer in advance, and then the employer will decide on a time when workers can be absent.

In addition, the measure calls for audits of at least one statewide contest after primary, runoff and special elections. Currently, a race is only audited after general elections every two years.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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