EXCLUSIVE: Georgia election board voted to bar voter-challenge fees. Taxpayers could foot the bill for challenges to their own registrations.

Georgia voters could face more challenges to their registrations, leaving local taxpayers to cover the cost of reviewing even unsupported allegations.

That's because the Georgia State Election Board voted 3–1 on Sept. 28 to approve a rule barring counties from charging voter-challenge fees. If the rule takes effect, it would prevent counties from charging challengers for processing expenses, including the cost of printing and mailing required notices.

The board approved the rule and, in the same vote, directed that an economic-impact statement be added. As of Oct. 21, no economic-impact statement had been posted to the meeting page. The board did not respond to a request to confirm whether the rule had been filed, when it would take effect, and when the economic data would be released.

The published proposal would prohibit counties from charging challengers for administrative labor, mailing, printing, and materials. It would also require counties to produce any additional copies needed when challengers submit one paper copy of their documentation.

Fayette’s own recent history shows the potential workload. County minutes from Aug. 27, 2024 recorded 1,154 voter registration challenges, which the board dismissed based on the National Voter Registration Act’s restrictions before a federal election. Even filings dismissed without individual hearings require county attention. The proposed rule would prohibit the county from recovering those costs from challengers in the future; whether it produces additional taxpayer expense would depend partly on whether filings increase.

Barring counties from charging fees could remove a financial disincentive for bulk filings. Activist Jason Frazier filed challenges against nearly 10,000 Fulton County voter registrations; he was later hired as an investigator for the State Election Board. County election boards across Georgia have dismissed the vast majority of challenges filed by Frazier and other activists.

Some counties have used fees to discourage large automated submissions. Cobb County adopted fees in 2024 to recover the cost of printing and mailing notices to challenged voters, as activists used tools such as EagleAI to submit challenges in bulk. Cobb’s policy did not charge for staff time spent researching challenges. Without the possibility of notification fees, Fayette could see more mass submissions, more staff time spent on reviews and hearings, and more letters to voters whose registrations are questioned but not proven ineligible.

Opponents of the new rule argue that taxpayers should not have to cover the notification costs generated by unsupported mass challenges. A challenge is an allegation, not proof. Filing a name does not remove anyone from the rolls. The challenger bears the burden of proving that a voter is ineligible, and county officials must follow applicable state and federal protections before canceling a registration. The concern is that large batches of unsupported challenges can consume election staff’s time and create confusion about who is actually ineligible.

Georgia law postpones challenges to a person’s right to vote in a particular election that are filed within 45 days of that election until after certification. Federal law also restricts systematic voter-roll removals within 90 days of a federal election. Those protections do not prevent someone from filing a separate post-election lawsuit alleging illegal voting. In 2020, Sidney Powell’s unsuccessful Georgia lawsuit relied partly on allegations that 20,311 people had voted despite moving out of state, arguing that the number exceeded Joe Biden’s winning margin. The court dismissed the lawsuit on Dec. 7, 2020; Georgia’s hand audit and Trump-requested recount both upheld the outcome. That case illustrates how voter-eligibility allegations can become an attempt to overturn an election through litigation, even though filing allegations does not establish their truth.

If you receive a notice that your registration has been challenged, do not ignore it. Open the notice, follow the county’s instructions and deadlines, and contact Fayette County elections staff about responding. A challenge is not a verdict, and receiving a notice does not establish that your registration is invalid.