Lawmakers gaveled out early Friday morning, marking the end of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session. Since January, our team has worked to protect and advance civil liberties under the Gold Dome.
We want to share where things landed and what comes next.
This Sine Die, the last day of the session, we brought dozens of community members to the Capitol to remind senators and representatives to protect the rights of all Georgians. Their advocacy helped stop many harmful bills from moving forward. Check out this report for all the end-of-session details.
You'll find pictures below from our final day of advocacy for this year's session.
Voting Rights
House Bill 960, which would have mandated hand-marked paper ballots for the upcoming election cycle, along with other provisions that could harm Georgians’ voting rights, was never called up for a vote.
This is a major victory for voting rights in Georgia. However, the legislature failed to push back the deadline for removing QR codes from ballots, set for July 1, which could create challenges during this year’s elections.
First Amendment
Senate Bill 74, which would have criminalized librarians for failing to remove content deemed “harmful to minors,” was never called up for a vote. This is essential for maintaining freedom of speech in Georgia.
Senate Bill 27, which would have created a new criminal offense for doxxing, using vague definitions that could sweep in speech protected by the First Amendment, did not get a vote.
Senate Bill 482, which would have significantly reduced public access to law enforcement video, was never voted on. This is a major win for government transparency and accountability.
Bills that passed the legislature will be sent to the governor’s desk, who has 40 days to decide the fate of each bill. He can either sign a bill into law, veto a bill, or take no action on a bill which means the bill becomes law without being signed.
What’s Next
Our next big fight is the upcoming midterm elections. We’re seeking volunteer poll observers this election season. You’ll get trained to protect voters at the polls from intimidation, harassment, or any violations of their rights in the voting process. Sign up in the next two weeks to help during early voting (April 27 to May 15, 2026) for the May 19 general primary election.
For the May primary, we are recruiting observers for the counties of Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Fayette, and Forsyth. If you live in these communities, please consider signing up. We’ll have a broader statewide effort for the General Election in November.
With your continued action, you give civil rights and liberties a fighting chance in Georgia.
