ATLANTA — Georgia will continue using its controversial QR code vote-counting system during this fall’s midterm elections after state lawmakers approved legislation Tuesday that delays any changes to the system until 2028.
Both chambers of the Georgia Legislature voted on the measure, which also scaled back an earlier proposal that would have required hand recounts of ballots in certain contests. Leaders in the Republican-controlled Legislature said the plan to postpone changes to the voting equipment had the backing of Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Kemp had called a special legislative session partly to deal with a July 1 deadline that had been set to eliminate the use of QR codes in the official vote-counting process. Lawmakers had previously passed a law establishing that deadline two years ago, but never managed to identify a replacement vote-tabulation method.
Some voting rights advocates had actually encouraged lawmakers to hold off on any changes to the QR code system, arguing there was not enough time before the midterms to roll out something new without risking confusion at polling locations. Georgia is considered a key political battleground state, with major statewide races for U.S. Senate and governor on the ballot this fall.
Last week, legislators appeared to have struck a deal on a bill to extend the QR code deadline, but Senate Republicans added an amendment over the weekend calling for a complete hand recount of the top two races on every ballot. That addition sparked strong pushback from Democrats.
The version of the bill that ultimately passed Tuesday narrowed the hand recount requirement to eight statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. However, those hand counts would only be triggered when the winning margin is within half a percentage point, and only for races appearing as the first or second contest on a ballot. Races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats would not fall under the hand recount rules.
Democrats opposed including any hand recount provision in the bill. Studies have indicated that counting ballots by hand is more error-prone, more expensive, and tends to slow down the release of results. Still, the idea has gained momentum among Republican lawmakers in several states as former President Donald Trump continues to make unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Democratic state Rep. Debra Bazemore noted that Georgia already has election procedures in place that include audits and recount provisions in applicable situations.
