Max Burns

A committee in Georgia is tasked with selecting a new statewide election system, moving away from ballot QR codes. The current system using ballot-marking devices will remain until 2028, with a special committee established to recommend hand-marked paper ballot systems by February 2027.

Georgia lawmakers revised a bill to limit hand recounts to the governor or lieutenant governor’s race when the margin is within half a percent, while extending the use of ballot QR codes until 2028. The bill also mandates post-election audits and a committee to select the state’s next voting system, with some provisions favoring hand-marked paper ballots over current machine systems.

Georgia Democrats oppose a bill requiring hand recounts of ballots in the 2022 midterm elections, which Republicans in the Georgia Senate approved as part of legislation to retain ballot QR codes. The bill delays a deadline for replacing QR codes but introduces a hand recount for key races, raising concerns about error rates and election chaos.

Georgia Democrats oppose a Senate amendment requiring hand recounts for top races in November, which was added to a bill extending the deadline to phase out ballot QR codes. The amendment faces criticism for risking election chaos and errors, while Republicans argue it enhances voter confidence. Georgia's current system uses QR codes, which have been criticized by Trump and election advocates.

A bill extending Georgia’s deadline to stop using QR codes on ballots to 2028 passed the Senate after partisan debate. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Max Burns, mandates hand recounts for top races, establishes a voting system selection committee, and requires additional post-election audits. Democrats opposed the bill, arguing it could delay certification and fuel election disputes.

Georgia lawmakers advanced a bill to delay removing QR codes from ballots until 2028, passing it through the Senate Ethics Committee in an 8-4 vote. The bill aims to address a funding shortfall for updating voting equipment, which currently relies on Dominion Voting Systems' ballot-marking devices. The measure follows failed attempts to resolve the issue during the 2026 legislative session.