Georgia Lawmakers to Address QR Code Voting Deadline in Special Session

Georgia lawmakers return to the Capitol this week for a special session to address a law that bans QR code use for official vote counts after July 1. The election system used statewide relies on a QR code printed on ballots to tally votes. Legislators passed the restriction two years ago but did not implement a replacement method.

One of the instructions the governor laid out when calling the session is to address issues created by that law. The secretary of state's office and the State Election Board have issued conflicting guidance to county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.

If unresolved, the situation could lead to confusion and possible litigation after July 1.

Election integrity advocates criticized the touchscreen machines, saying they are vulnerable to hacking and that voters cannot verify selections because QR codes are not human-readable. Republican lawmakers in 2024 passed the law banning barcodes for the official tabulation count after July 1, 2026.

In the two years since passage, neither the secretary of state's office nor the General Assembly took action to comply. The deadline now approaches as a major midterm election looms.

The governor announced the special session last month to draw new congressional maps for the 2028 elections and to address the QR code issue. The secretary of state's office last week issued guidance directing the six counties in an upcoming special election to continue using the current system, including the QR code scanners, with a secondary optical character recognition process for the official count.