State nears deadline to stop counting ballots with QR codes, raising special session, lawsuit risks

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia is approaching a July 1 deadline to stop counting ballots with QR codes, but lawmakers ended this year’s legislative session without approving a replacement system or providing money to change course.

The deadline stems from a law passed two years ago that bans the machine-readable codes that are currently used to tally votes on ballots printed by Georgia’s Dominion ballot-marking devices. Critics, including some conservative activists, argue voters cannot read the QR codes and therefore cannot personally verify what the scanning equipment is counting.

In the final days of the session, House leaders backed a bipartisan proposal to delay the QR-code ban, arguing the state should not overhaul election administration close to a major election. The Senate did not take up the measure.

House Speaker Jon Burns said lawmakers would consult with Gov. Brian Kemp about next steps.

“We’ll sit down with the governor, but certainly, election reform is something we were committed to,” Burns said.

County election officials, who are required to use the current equipment, say the lack of direction complicates planning for November.

“We’re in limbo. We have no direction. We can’t prepare for elections overnight,” said Deirdre Holden, the elections administrator in Paulding County, west of Atlanta.

Voting rights advocates say the timeline for major changes is tight.

Rachel Glover, associate director of the ACLU of Georgia’s Voter Access Project, said ordering equipment, updating procedures, and training staff and poll workers can take six months to a year.

“The General Assembly created this problem by passing SB 189 in 2024, and it’s their responsibility to find the solution,” Glover said.

If Georgia reaches July 1 without changing how ballots are counted, outside groups could file lawsuits arguing the state is out of compliance with its own election law, potentially putting election rules on a judge’s timetable.

“It’s going to have to be addressed one way or the other. A special legislative session is the most likely way to get this resolved,” said Zachary Peskowitz, a political science professor at Emory University.

Democratic state Rep. Saira Draper warned in a video statement that court intervention could add uncertainty.

“That’s a scary proposition. What happens next with our election system goes to a judge. iit’s unpredictable,” Draper said.

The political calendar adds pressure. Early voting for Georgia’s May 19 primary is approaching, and a special session would pull lawmakers — many of them candidates — back to Atlanta during a key stretch of campaigning.

Kemp’s office said it would begin reviewing bills and the budget Monday, including “the consequences of bills that did not pass.” Kemp has not said whether he will call lawmakers back into session.

For now, counties say they are waiting for guidance as the July 1 deadline nears.