Recount laws in Georgia
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An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters.
Georgia law does not allow for automatic recounts. A candidate may request a recount if the margin between candidates is less than or equal to 0.5%. Elections officials, the Constitutional Amendment Publication Board, and the secretary of state may also request a recount under certain circumstances. The Georgia Secretary of State has said the state pays any recount costs.
Summary of recount laws
The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in Georgia.[1]
- Does state law require automatic recounts?
- No.
- When must an automatic recount be completed?
- There are no automatic recounts in this state.
- Can a recount be requested?
- Yes. Election officials, including the secretary of state, may request recounts under certain circumstances explained below. These recounts may be conducted before the certification of election results. A losing candidate may also request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5%. There are no set deadlines for the completion of a candidate-requested recount.
- Who pays for a requested recount?
- State law does not specify who is responsible for costs associated with a requested recount but the secretary of state's office has indicated that the state covers all costs.[2]
- Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
- Not applicable. According to the Secretary of State, the state covers the cost of requested recounts.[3]
- Can a partial recount be requested?
- Yes.
Georgia recount procedures
Automatic recount procedures
Georgia does not require automatic recounts.
Requested recount procedures
Under Georgia law, recounts may be requested under the following conditions:[4]
- A candidate may request a recount within two business days following the certification of results if the margin between candidates is less than or equal to 0.5%.
- An election official may order, at his or her discretion, a recount if it appears there is a discrepancy or error in the returns. In precincts using paper or scanned ballots, any candidate or political party may petition the election official to make such an order. In precincts using voting machines, any three electors of the precinct may do the same.
- For constitutional amendments and binding referendum questions, the Constitutional Amendment Publication Board may, at its discretion, request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5% within two business days following the certification of results.
- The secretary of state may request a recount at his or her discretion if a candidate for federal or state office petitions the office regarding an apparent discrepancy or error in the returns.
State law specifies neither deadlines for completion nor who is responsible for requested recount costs. The group Verified Voter writes that "according to the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State, for recounts authorized under Title 21, the petitioners are not responsible for any of the costs incurred by election officials."[5]
For more information about recount procedures in Georgia, click here.
Georgia voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
Georgia uses ballot-marking devices for all voters. [6]
Noteworthy events
Presidential vote in Georgia (2020)
- See also: Presidential election in Georgia, 2020
On November 6, 2020, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said that a statewide recount was likely due to the narrow margin of votes separating President Donald Trump (R) from former Vice President Joe Biden (D). Raffensperger said, "This process is and will remain open and transparent to monitors."[7]
The Trump campaign appointed Rep. Doug Collins (R) to lead the campaign's recount efforts. On November 10, 2020, Collins filed the following formal requests with Raffensperger:[8][9][10]
- "There must be a full comparison of absentee ballots cast and in-person and provisional ballots cast throughout the state."
- "[T]here must be a check for felons and other ineligible persons who m ay have cast a ballot.
- "[The] Secretary of state should announce a full hand-count of every ballot cast in each and every county due to widespread allegations of voter irregularities, issues with voting machines, and poll watcher access."
On November 11, 2020, Raffensperger announced that Georgia would conduct a hand-count audit of its presidential election results. The target date for completing the audit was November 20, 2020, the state's certification deadline.[11]
On November 19, 2020, Raffensperger announced the results of the hand-count audit, which confirmed Biden's victory over Trump. The audit revealed a 0.1053 percent discrepancy in the statewide vote total, and a 0.0099 percent variation in the margin of victory, between the hand count and the initial machine count. The audit uncovered approximately 5,000 ballots that were not tallied during the initial machine count, which election officials attributed to human error. This resulted in a net gain of 1,272 votes for Trump.[12][13]
On November 21, the Trump campaign requested a recount. That recount was conducted by rescanning ballots through tabulation machines, in contrast with the hand-count audit that concluded on November 19, 2020. The machine recount ended on December 4, 2020. The outcome of the race was unchanged, and Raffensperger recertified the results on December 7, 2020.[14][15][16]
50-state overview of recount laws
The table below summarizes where state laws allow for automatic and requested recounts. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, state law in 48 states included a recount provision, automatic recounts are possible in 28 states, and requested recounts are possible in 43 states.
The map and table below outline the type of recount laws in each state.
50-state overview of requested recounts
The table below summarizes how requested recounts are paid for and whether it is possible for candidates to request a partial recount. Click "show" to view the table.
As of September 2025, the requester of a recount pays for the recount in 23 states, the state pays in seven states, in 11 states it depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount, and in two states it is unclear which party pays for the recount. In 27 states a refund may be available for a requested recount, in four states a refund depends on the circumstances of the recount, and in five states no refund is available. The remaining 14 states have state-funded requested recounts or do not have requested recounts. In 27 states a partial recount may be requested.
| State[19] | Who pays for a requested recount? | Refund available? | Can candidates request a partial recount? | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Requester | Yes | Yes | 16-20,21 |
| Alaska | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 20.430-490 |
| Arizona | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 16-661,249 |
| Arkansas | Requester | Yes | No | 7-5-319 |
| California | Requester | Yes | Yes | 15620-15634 |
| Colorado | Requester | Yes | No | 10.5-101-109 |
| Connecticut | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 9-445,6-311a |
| Delaware | State | N/A | Yes | 5702(C,E) |
| District of Columbia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-1001.11(a) |
| Florida | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 102.141,166 |
| Georgia | State | N/A | Yes | 21-2-495,499 |
| Hawaii | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 11-158 |
| Idaho | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 34-2301-2309 |
| Illinois | Requester | Maybe[20] | Yes | 5/22-9.1, 18 |
| Indiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-12-11-1-10 |
| Iowa | State | N/A | No | 43.56 & 50.48 |
| Kansas | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 25-3107 |
| Kentucky | Requester | No | Yes | 120.017,095,185,250,280 |
| Louisiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 18-1451 & 1453 |
| Maine | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 737-A |
| Maryland | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 12-101-107 |
| Massachusetts | State | N/A | Yes | 54:135,A,B |
| Michigan | Requester | Yes | Yes | 168.879-894 |
| Minnesota | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 204C.35-361 |
| Mississippi | No requested recounts | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Requester | Maybe[21] | No | 115.601 |
| Montana | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Maybe[22] | No | 13-16-201-11 |
| Nebraska | Requester | Yes | Yes | 32-1119,1121 |
| Nevada | Requester | Yes | No | 293.403-405 |
| New Hampshire | State/Requester Depends on election type[23] |
Varies[24] | No | 660:1-16 |
| New Jersey | Requester | Yes | Yes | 19:28-1,2,3 |
| New Mexico | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-14-14 to 25 |
| New York | Unclear[25] | No | No | 9-208 |
| North Carolina | State | N/A | No | 163-182.7,182.7A |
| North Dakota | Requester | No | No | 16.1-16-01 |
| Ohio | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3515.01-072 |
| Oklahoma | Requester | Yes | Yes | 26-8-109 to 117 |
| Oregon | Requester | Yes | Yes | 258.006-300 |
| Pennsylvania | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3154g,3261-3 |
| Rhode Island | Unclear[26] | No | No | 17-19-37.1 |
| South Carolina | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 7-17-280 |
| South Dakota | State | N/A | Yes | 12-21-1 to 37 |
| Tennessee | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 2-17,18 |
| Texas | Requester | Yes | Yes | 211 to 216 |
| Utah | State/Requester Depends on requester[27] |
No | No | 20A-4-401 |
| Vermont | State | N/A | No | 17-51-2601,2602 |
| Virginia | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 8-24.2-800 to 802.3 |
| Washington | Requester | Yes | Yes | 29A.64 |
| West Virginia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-6-9 |
| Wisconsin | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 9.01 & 5.90 |
| Wyoming | Requester | Yes | No | 22-16-109 to 114 |
State legislation
The table below lists bills related to recounts introduced during (or carried over to) Georgia's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
See also
- Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states, 2020
- Voting in Georgia
- Georgia
- Voting methods and equipment by state
Footnotes
- ↑ Justia, "GA Code § 21-2-495 (2019)," accessed October 16, 2020
- ↑ Verified Voter, "Georgia," accessed September 18, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voter, "Georgia," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑ Justia, "GA Code § 21-2-495 (2024)," accessed September 18, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Georgia," accessed September 18, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Election Day Equipment - November 2026," accessed September 11, 2025
- ↑ CBS News, "Georgia secretary of state says state will head to a recount," November 6, 2020
- ↑ Fox News, "Trump campaign taps Rep. Doug Collins to lead recount team in Georgia," November 8, 2020
- ↑ Fox 5 Atlanta, "Trump campaign requests Georgia hand-count votes in recount," November 10, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Doug Collins: Nov. 10, 2020: 10:51 AM," November 10, 2020
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Georgia secretary of state announces hand audit; Trump, Sullivan win in Alaska," November 11, 2020
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Historic First Statewide Audit of Paper Ballots Upholds Result of Presidential Race," November 19, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "Where Georgia’s Hand Recount Differed From the Initial Tally, by County," November 19, 2020
- ↑ NPR, "Trump Requests Georgia Recount, Meaning 5 Million Votes Will Be Tabulated A 3rd Time," November 22, 2020
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "November 3, 2020, Presidential Recount," accessed December 7, 2020
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Certifies Election, Kraken Case Dismissed," December 7, 2020
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Arizona Recount Laws," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ A court may order a recount under Arizona law.
- ↑ This category encompasses instances where the state government pays for recounts and those states where counties pay.
- ↑ A recount alone cannot change the election results, but can be used to contest the election. At the end of that process, the court may choose not to levy costs against the prevailing party.
- ↑ Recounts occur as part of a contested election. A requester may be required to cover costs before the start of such an event. The court may choose to require the unsuccessful party in a contested election to cover the costs, which could involve a refund to the requester if he or she is the successful party.
- ↑ In the case of a court-ordered recount, candidates must pay, but will be refunded if the outcome changes. Regarding non-court-ordered recounts, state law does not mention whether the candidate is refunded in such a case.
- ↑ The state covers requested recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester covers all other recounts.
- ↑ For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ The state pays for candidate-requested recounts. The requester pays for voter-requested recounts of ballot measures.
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