ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s State Election Board on Wednesday rejected a proposal defining when hand-marked paper ballots could be used in place of the state’s touchscreen voting machines.

Democrat Eric Gisler won in a district designed to favor Republicans. Now, GOP leaders are sounding the alarm ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Democrats notched gains in a Georgia state House race on Tuesday, building on a series of wins and margin improvements in recent elections across the country

ATLANTA (AP) — Democrat Eric Gisler claimed an upset victory Tuesday in a special election in a historically Republican Georgia state House district. Gisler said he was the winner of the contest, in which he was leading Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest by about 200 votes out of more than 11,000 in final unofficial returns.

The State Election Board on Wednesday failed to pass a rule that would establish qualifying circumstances under which Georgia's touchscreen voting system could be eliminated.

A special election for Georgia State Senate District 18 is set for January 20 after John Kennedy’s resignation. Qualifying begins December 15 and voter registration ends December 22.

John F. Kennedy has resigned to run for lieutenant governor.

Polls closed Tuesday night across Georgia as voters decided dozens of municipal runoff races that will set the direction for several metro cities heading into 2026.

The election interference case against President Trump in Georgia was dismissed last week, but the ghosts of the 2020 election are still looming over the state as next year’s midterms approach.