EAdIElection Administration Index
How professionally and independently is election administration codified?
Dimensions
Accountability
50.0% · 1/2| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COI.1Conflict-of-interest disclosureAre commissioners and senior election staff required by statute to disclose financial interests (vendor relationships, party positions, candidate connections) publicly? | 0/10.0% | No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: § 21-2-379 codifies ballot arrangement when optical scanning impracticable. § 21-2-310 (Definitions) and § 21-2-379.2 (DRE review) — none codify conflict-of-interest disclosure for election administrators. COI is governed by Georgia's general Ethics in Government Act (separate instrument). | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COI.2Judicial review of administrative decisionsIs the right to seek judicial review of election-authority decisions codified, with standing, timeline, and venue defined? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-33.2 codifies extraordinary relief — hearings, suspension and reinstatement of superintendents, litigation procedure. § 21-2-543 / § 21-2-543.1 / § 21-2-544 codify special-election judicial procedures. § 21-2-172 codifies political-body conventions with judicial review. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
Commission
100.0% · 5/5| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMM.1Statutory grounding of commissionIs the election commission's existence and core mandate set in the constitution (rather than statute alone, regulation, or executive order)? | 2/2100.0% | § 21-2-34 codifies compensation and expenses of board members. § 21-2-33.1 codifies enforcement procedure including suspension of superintendents. § 21-2-33.2 codifies extraordinary relief. § 21-2-30 (Creation) and § 21-2-107 codify SEB authority. Comprehensive statutory grounding of commission. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.2Multi-branch appointmentAre commission members appointed by multiple branches (legislature, judiciary, executive) such that no single branch unilaterally controls composition? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-30 codifies State Election Board composition: Secretary of State (ex officio), plus 1 member elected by majority of Senate, 1 by majority of House, 1 by each major political party's state executive committee, and 1 by joint majority. Multi-branch appointment statutorily codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.3Term protectionAre commissioner terms defined in statute with fixed length, staggered cycles, and statutory grounds for removal? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-30 codifies terms of service for State Election Board members. § 21-2-212 codifies county registrar terms with appointment/certification/vacancies. § 21-2-228 codifies hearing procedure for qualification examination. Term protection codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| COMM.4Political-balance requirementIs the commission's composition required by statute to be politically balanced (party-balanced, supermajority-confirmation, or independent appointment by judiciary)? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-408 codifies bipartisan poll-watcher structure (one per candidate / two per precinct per party). § 21-2-30 codifies State Election Board political-balance (1 member appointed by each major party's state committee). § 21-2-139 codifies nonpartisan elections form. Political-balance requirement codified throughout. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
Funding
0.0% · 0/4| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUND.1Independent funding lineIs the election authority's budget a separate statutory line item (not subject to mid-cycle reallocation by the executive branch alone)? | 0/10.0% | § 21-2-286 codifies printing specifications/numbering/binding of ballots (state-funded). § 21-2-284 codifies form of primary ballots. State Election Board funding flows from general state budget appropriation — independent funding line not separately codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| FUND.2Multi-year funding cycleAre election infrastructure budgets set on a multi-year cycle (avoiding annual political renegotiation of election-administration money)? | 0/10.0% | No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: § 21-2-100 codifies training of local election officials. § 21-2-541.2 codifies local terms of office. Funding cycle is annual via state appropriation; no multi-year funding cycle codified. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| FUND.3Foreign funding prohibitionIs foreign-source funding of the election authority (and election administration vendors, where applicable) prohibited by statute? | 0/20.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
Staff Training
33.3% · 1/3| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAFF.1Career professional staffIs the election authority's career staff (professional employees, not political appointees) protected by civil-service or analogous merit-based statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
| STAFF.2Mandatory trainingIs training for election officials and poll workers required by statute, with content and frequency defined? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-99 codifies mandatory instruction of poll officers and workers, certifications, and notification procedure. § 21-2-100 codifies training of local election officials. § 21-2-77 codifies electronic-returns training. § 21-2-31 codifies State Election Board duty to promulgate uniform training regulations. Comprehensive training mandate. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| STAFF.3Whistleblower protectionAre election-related whistleblower protections (for staff reporting irregularities) codified in statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-19 |
Vendor Oversight
66.7% · 2/3| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CERT.1Certification process codifiedIs the voting-equipment certification process (criteria, evaluators, timeline, public-comment period) codified in statute or regulation? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-324 codifies state board examination/approval of voting machines with expert appointment. § 21-2-379.6 codifies maintenance. § 21-2-368 codifies optical scanning review. § 21-2-379.2 codifies DRE review. § 21-2-379.24 codifies BMD review with revocation/penalty for vendor breach. Comprehensive certification framework. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| CERT.2Recertification triggersAre recertification triggers (after material updates, after defects discovered, on a fixed schedule) codified? | 0/10.0% | § 21-2-499 codifies state board canvassing/computation duties (including recanvass on discrepancy). § 21-2-495 codifies recount/recanvass procedure. Recertification triggers not separately codified — handled through State Election Board rules. | § view source 2026-05-19 |
| CERT.3Decertification grounds & procedureAre the grounds for revoking certification, and the procedure for doing so, defined in statute? | 1/1100.0% | § 21-2-379.24 codifies BMD examination procedure including revocation of approval and penalty to vendors for improper conduct. § 21-2-379.2 / § 21-2-368 codify parallel decertification grounds for DRE and optical scan. § 21-2-101 codifies certification programs for election superintendents. | § view source 2026-05-19 |