ATLANTA () — Georgia’s legislators have made an initial move to tackle a pressing election law deadline that could affect the state’s voting infrastructure ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
A Senate committee on Thursday pushed forward a bill aimed at postponing the removal of QR codes from election ballots until 2028. This extension would provide state officials with more time to devise and implement a new voting system.
The legislative session, which commenced on Wednesday, was initially convened by Governor Brian Kemp to focus on congressional and legislative redistricting. However, with Republican leaders opting to defer redistricting discussions, lawmakers shifted their focus to the impending July 1 deadline mandating the removal of QR codes from Georgia’s voting machines.
According to the current legislation, QR codes must be phased out for vote tabulation by July 1. Election officials have expressed concerns that updating or overhauling Georgia’s voting system to meet this deadline would be both expensive and challenging to complete on schedule.
Estimates from state election authorities suggest that the transition could incur costs approaching $70 million.
Supporters of the legislation say extending the deadline will provide certainty for county election officials while allowing lawmakers and election experts to carefully evaluate future voting technology options.
“I mean, the date has been pushed back because we’ve not been able to work with the Secretary of State’s office in getting this done,” said State Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah. “With the date being pushed back, things will not change up until that time.”
The proposal would also establish a special committee tasked with developing standards and recommendations for Georgia’s next voting system before the 2028 presidential election.
Democrats on the committee largely agreed that lawmakers need a long-term solution but raised concerns about how the new system would be selected and whether minority-party voices would be adequately represented in the process.
“We want to make sure the election is safe. That’s number one. We want to make sure it’s accurate,” said State Sen. Harold Jones, D-Augusta.
Jones said one option under consideration could resemble traditional optical-scan voting systems, where voters fill in bubbles on a paper ballot that is then scanned and counted electronically.
Outside the Capitol, some voting rights organizations, including the ACLU of Georgia, argue QR codes do not present a security issue and contend the debate has been driven more by politics than election administration concerns.
Republican lawmakers counter that the measure is intended to strengthen voter confidence and trust in Georgia’s elections.
The full Senate is expected to consider the legislation Saturday. If approved, the bill would move to the House for consideration as lawmakers work to conclude the special session by early next week.