Georgia’s QR codes for counting votes will remain for midterms after lawmakers vote to delay a fix
The measure also orders hand recounts in the top two races and could change official tallies if the original count is incorrect.
- On Tuesday, the Georgia House and Senate passed Senate Bill 3EX, extending QR code ballot usage until January 2028 while mandating hand recounts for statewide races decided by 0.5% or less.
- Gov. Brian Kemp called a special session to address an expiring July 1 deadline after lawmakers failed to appropriate roughly $66 million needed to replace the current QR code voting equipment before the midterms.
- Legislation sponsored by Sylvania Republican Sen. Max Burns creates an advisory committee tasked with recommending a new voting system by January 31, 2027, and grants election officials 17 days to complete mandatory hand recounts.
- Senate Minority Whip Kim Jackson, a Stone Mountain Democrat, argued hand counts are "slower, more expensive and more prone to human error," warning the process could delay certification and foster election denialism.
- State lawmakers are now responsible for funding and implementing the new uniform voting system for the 2028 election cycle, following the bill's expected signature by Kemp.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Clayton News
Lawmakers go home after postponing changes to election system
ATLANTA — Georgians should continue voting with the same machines they have been using for years until a new system can be acquired in 2028, lawmakers decided before ending their special session Tuesday. In largely partisan votes by the state…
Ballot QR code bill headed to governor after Georgia lawmakers scale back hand-counting requirement
Sen. Max Burns discusses his election bill in a House Committee on June 23, 2026. Ross Williams/Georgia RecorderGeorgia lawmakers dialed back a controversial change that would have mandated hand recounts of the two top-ticket races in every election before local officials could certify the results. The hand-count provision was added by Senate Republicans over the weekend to a measure extending the state’s self-imposed deadline to stop using ball…
Georgia’s QR codes for counting votes will remain for midterms after lawmakers vote to delay a fix - The Boston Globe
Legislators passed a law two years ago that set a July 1 deadline to ban QR codes for the official vote count, but then failed to find a replacement for tabulating votes.
Associated Press News
Georgia’s QR codes for counting votes will remain for midterms after lawmakers vote to delay a fix
Georgia will stick with an embattled vote-counting method that relies on QR codes for this year’s midterm elections after state lawmakers passed legislation that put off making changes until 2028.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
