The party’s sweeping success in the elections gives Democrats a stronger hand to reshape the composition of the State Election Board, which has been a focal point for voting rights advocates who criticize its push for anti-voting policies.
With control of the state House and a reduced GOP majority in the state Senate, Democrats have a clear path to pursue changes.
A Path to Reform
Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms and Secretary of State-elect Penny Brown Reynolds, both Democrats, campaigned on a promise to purge anti-voting policies recently passed by the state election board. Lance Bottoms has gone so far as to propose eliminating the board entirely and replacing it with an independent voting commission.
“The State Election Board has become mired in political games, conspiracy theories, and partisan interference,” Lance Bottoms’ campaign proposal on voting states. “Georgia’s election system should not be run by people trying to undermine confidence in elections, intimidate local officials, or change the rules to benefit one political party.”
The current board is dominated by Republicans, with four of its five members holding the party affiliation. Several members have been documented for holding anti-voting views.
Salleigh Grubbs, who joined the board in January 2026, was known for making outlandish claims about the 2020 election before her appointment, including allegations that Fulton County election officials were double- and triple-counting ballots. She was appointed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who supports Trump’s claims that Georgia’s 2020 vote was rigged.
Another member, Janelle King, has also spread misinformation about voter fraud in Fulton County. Last year, she urged the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to confiscate the county’s 2020 election ballots to investigate fraud claims; the FBI referenced her in its affidavit when it did seize the ballots in January.
A History of Controversy
The board’s Republican majority has repeatedly engaged in actions that critics say are aimed at undermining trust in the state’s electoral system. In September, the board asked the Trump administration to investigate Georgia’s voting machines, a request rooted in a long crusade by election deniers to undermine voters’ trust in the state’s election system.
Just weeks before the midterm elections in October, the board asked the DOJ to prohibit the state from using its voting machines altogether. In 2024, a court blocked the board from enforcing controversial anti-voting rules that could have delayed election results and boosted allegations of fraud and election uncertainty.
The structure of the election board itself has been a point of political contention. Board members are primarily appointed by the state legislature: one by the House, one by the Senate, and the chair elected by majorities from both chambers. The other two members are selected by the state’s Democratic and Republican parties.
Before 2021, the board chair was the secretary of state. However, Republican lawmakers changed the law that year, giving the legislature the power to make the appointment. This action followed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s refusal to accede to Trump’s and other election deniers’ demands to promote false fraud claims concerning the 2020 election.
Looking ahead, Lance Bottoms has pledged to work with the General Assembly to replace the current board. “As governor, I will work with the General Assembly to eliminate the current State Election Board and replace it with a stronger, more independent election oversight structure that is insulated from partisan manipulation and focused on one mission: protecting free, fair, secure, and accessible elections,” her proposal states.
