Georgia Senate Bill SB363

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/27/25
• Refer: 3/28/25

Caption

Electors; restrictions of voting rights for judicially incompetent persons; provide

Summary

SB 363 amends Georgia’s election code to address voter eligibility for people who have been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent. Under the bill, such a person may not register, remain registered, or vote unless the disability has been removed. The bill also restates the existing rule that persons convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may not register, remain registered, or vote until completion of their sentence. The measure is tied to a proposed constitutional change. It would take effect on January 1, 2027, only if a separate constitutional amendment is ratified at the November 2026 general election removing the felony-disqualification exception from the Georgia Constitution. If that amendment is not approved, SB 363 automatically repeals itself and never becomes operative.

Impact

If enacted and activated by the contingent constitutional amendment, SB 363 would tighten and clarify Georgia’s statutory voter-qualification rules by expressly barring registration and voting by persons judicially declared mentally incompetent unless their legal disability has been removed. It would also preserve the statutory treatment of felony convictions involving moral turpitude as a voting disqualification until sentence completion, while aligning the statute with the anticipated constitutional change. The bill would affect election officials, voter registration systems, and individuals whose voting rights are limited by guardianship or competency determinations, and it would repeal conflicting laws.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes are provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a targeted election-law restriction framed as a clarification of voter qualifications rather than a broad overhaul. The contingent effective-date structure suggests the sponsor sought to coordinate statutory law with a future constitutional amendment.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the restriction of voting rights for people judicially determined to be mentally incompetent, because it directly limits access to the ballot for a vulnerable group. A second likely issue is the bill’s treatment of felony disenfranchisement, since it conditions effectiveness on a constitutional amendment removing the felony exception and therefore implicates broader debates over voting rights, restoration of rights, and election integrity. No specific opposing or supporting lawmakers are identified in the provided record.