Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), the Senate Committee on Assignments, and Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives Jon Burns (R) announced today key appointments to the newly established Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee.
When was this committee established? The bipartisan legislative panel was established by Senate Bill 3EX, authored by Senator Max Burns (R), during the 2026 Special Legislative Session to develop recommendations for Georgia’s next uniform election system.
What key figures are saying:
- Gov. Brian Kemp: “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. 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.”
- Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-GA): “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.”
- Speaker Jon Burns: “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 election system to hand-marked paper ballots, strengthen transparency, and ensure every Georgian can have confidence in their voice at the ballot box.”
Who has been appointed to this election committee? Gov. Kemp appointed Deidre Holden, Paulding County Elections and Voter Registration Supervisor; Chris Harvey, former Elections Director and Chief Investigator in the Secretary of State’s Office; and Sam Hatcher, Executive Counsel for the Governor’s Office. These figures will serve as the committee’s public members.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Assignments, Lt. Gov. Jones appointed Sen. Burns to serve as Senate co-chair, along with Senators Bo Hatchett (R) and Rick Williams (R).
Speaker Burns appointed Rep. Victor Anderson (R) to serve as House co-chair, along with Representatives Tim Fleming (R) and Scott Holcomb (D).
