State Leaders Announce Appointments to Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee

ATLANTA (July 28, 2026) - Today, Governor Brian P. Kemp, the Senate Committee on Assignments and Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced appointments to the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee. The bipartisan legislative panel was established by Senate Bill 3EX, authored by Sen. Max Burns, during the 2026 Special Legislative Session to develop recommendations for Georgia's next uniform election system.

Governor Kemp appointed Deidre Holden, Paulding County Elections and Voter Registration Supervisor; Chris Harvey, Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and former Elections Director and Chief Investigator in the Secretary of State's Office; and Sam Hatcher, Executive Counsel for the Governor's Office, to serve as the committee's public members. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Assignments, Lt. Governor Burt Jones appointed Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania) to serve as Senate co-chair, along with Senators Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) and Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville). Speaker Burns appointed Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia) to serve as House co-chair, along with Representatives Tim Fleming (R-Covington) and Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta).

"As a former Secretary of State and current Governor, I know firsthand just how much our system of governance rests on being able to trust the results of the ballot box," said Governor Brian Kemp. "That's why we've made it easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia, and I look forward to the recommendations from the committee on how we can preserve that trust."

"I'm proud of the work the Georgia General Assembly did during the special session to fight for election integrity in Georgia by requiring immediate manual recounts of major races. We owe it to the voters who elected us to instill further confidence in our election systems, and I look forward to the work of this committee advancing this commitment," said Lt. Governor Burt Jones.

"Georgia has made significant progress in strengthening election integrity, and I look forward to the contributions the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee will make as we transition our elections system to hand-marked paper ballots, strengthen transparency, and ensure every Georgian can have confidence in their voice at the ballot box," said Speaker Jon Burns. "I want to thank Co-Chairman Victor Anderson, Rep. Tim Fleming, and Rep. Scott Holcomb for their willingness to serve and lend their expertise to this important work."

"Georgia has long been recognized as a national leader in election administration, and it is our responsibility to ensure our election systems continue to earn the confidence of the people we serve," said Sen. Max Burns. "I am honored to serve as Senate co-chair of this committee and look forward to working alongside Rep. Anderson and the full committee as we consider a new generation of election equipment for our state. By bringing together election officials and other stakeholders, we will conduct a thorough review and develop thoughtful recommendations to keep our elections secure, transparent, and accessible for years to come."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as co-chair of the Joint Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee and am eager to get to work on this important issue," said Chairman Anderson. "Throughout the interim, this committee will work diligently to develop recommendations for uniform standards for Georgia's election equipment that strengthen the integrity, security and reliability of our elections. We will work to ensure that every voter has confidence that our elections are conducted fairly and accurately. I look forward to working alongside my Senate co-chair and the members of this committee as we take on this important responsibility for the people of Georgia."

The committee is tasked with evaluating specifications and requirements for election equipment utilizing hand-marked paper ballots produced through ballot-on-demand printing.

The committee will convene its first meeting on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. in room 606 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building in Atlanta. Additional details forthcoming.

Senate Bill 3EX directs the committee to seek input from election officials, cybersecurity experts, accessibility and disability advocates, and other stakeholders before submitting a report by Jan. 31, 2027. The report will provide recommendations to help state policymakers develop plans for appropriations, procurement, and implementation of a new uniform election system, beginning with the 2028 election cycle. The legislation also establishes mandatory statewide hand recounts in certain close statewide elections and provides for state reimbursement of eligible county recount costs.

More information about Senate Bill 3EX is available here.

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Sen. Max Burns serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education. He represents the 23^rd Senate District, which includes Burke, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, McDuffie, Screven, Taliaferro and Warren counties, as well as portions of Columbia and Richmond counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-1376 or by email at [email protected].

Representative Victor Anderson represents the citizens of District 10, which includes Rabun County, as well as most of Habersham County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Industry and Labor, Intragovernmental Coordination and Public Safety and Homeland Security committees, as well as the Special Committee on Resource Management.

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