Rynders, a Republican from Albany who has served in the House since 2003, told the newspaper Thursday that he's stepping down after suffering a heart attack in June. He said personnel changes at the school where his wife teaches also contributed to the decision to leave office and move to St. Simons Island.

Rynders' committee oversees election legislation, including a bill this year calling for Georgia to replace its 17-year-old electronic voting system. That measure, House Bill 316, resulted in the state purchasing a $107 million system with touchscreen voting computers that print out paper ballots.