Georgia state senators on Saturday, amid efforts to postpone removal of voter ballot QR codes to 2028, passed an amendment requiring hand recounts for the state’s top two ticket races during elections.
The bill concerning the ban of QR codes on ballots would transition Georgia to an alternative system prior to the 2028 presidential election. The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, also calls for more post-election audits on some statewide races.
On the floor of the Senate, Burns said his bill “prepares Georgia for future elections” while allowing the 2026 midterms to take place “in an orderly fashion.”
The measure would accomplish four objectives: postpone Georgia’s deadline to ban QR code tabulation to 2028, institute a commission to choose an alternative voting system, require further post-election audits on certain Georgia elections, and mandate hand recounts on the state’s highest contests during every election.
The hand recount amendment, added to the bill Saturday, passed by a 33-19 vote.
Senate Minority Whip Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, voiced her opposition to the hand counts, telling reporters, “It sets us up for chaos and I actually believe that is the intention here.”
“Republicans … [want] to create doubt in November so that they can contest what we know will be a blue wave,” Jackson added.
However, when a hand recount was conducted following the results of the Georgia 2020 presidential election, various errors were revealed, such as significant ballot inconsistencies in Fulton County. Further, this was verified in a November 2021 report published by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.
Since then, various counties, including Paulding County, have utilized hand recounts since the presidential election and continue to use this method in vote tabulation.
Burns’ bill, should it become law, would institute the Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee, composed of nine members chosen by the governor and lawmakers, to set guidelines for the new voting system without QR codes.
The mandate to remove QR codes stems from legislation passed in 2024 which banned the codes starting July 1, 2026. However, that bill didn’t fund the change or explain how ballots would be counted without the codes.
The bill introduced and approved on Saturday was introduced to deal with illegality and verifiability issues in the state’s QR system.
Georgia’s current voting system gathers votes that are masked in QR codes that cannot be verified by Georgia voters. Critics say the problem needs to be addressed as it conflicts with various state election laws and also an executive order by President Donald Trump.
According to Georgia election officials, recounting ballots by hand could prove expensive and take more time. A spokesperson for the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia told The Center Square that the organization “comments on election bills only when they affect local taxpayer costs and election administration. The amendment affects both.”
While Georgia does not have a new voting system, lawmakers will continue to work throughout the special session to keep the present system in place.
