ATLANTA — A divided state House committee approved a bill Friday that would allow Georgians to inspect paper ballots after an election.
Current law allows Georgians to inspect electronic copies of ballot images to verify that official vote tallies are accurate. But the original paper ballots remain under seal and can be opened only with a judge’s order — a procedure designed to prevent ballots from being tampered with after an election.
House Bill 426 would provide public access to the paper ballots after an election is certified — a move proponents say will increase confidence in elections by allowing citizens to verify the results for themselves.
