Crisis is brewing over how the state will conduct midterm elections
The Georgia Legislature concluded its regular session Thursday without approving a proposed overhaul of the state’s voting system or a delay in a self-imposed deadline, leaving how the state will handle midterm elections in limbo.
At issue is a July deadline set two years ago in state law to eliminate the QR codes used to count votes in state elections. Legislators didn’t fund tweaking the current system or replacing it, nor did they approve any proposals to transition to a new system.
“I feel like the politicians have made their political agendas, and getting reelected more important than actually conducting the elections and having the voters’ interest in mind,” said Cherokee County Elections Director Anne Dover.
The path forward remains deeply uncertain, but the consequences are imminent. Because of the law passed in 2024, counties can’t rely on the state’s current touchscreen system to count votes once the July deadline arrives, potentially putting millions of votes in jeopardy during the general election in November.
“It’s not fair to force (county officials) to resolve this because lawmakers didn’t figure it out,” said David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research.
Legislators said they’re weighing their options for a path forward. State Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said he’s hopeful but didn’t give a clear indication about what’s next.
“We’ll have to work through the process now,” said Burns. “We’ve got to figure out what the next options are, and you know, there are still some options.”
Some lawmakers think a special session is needed. But top officials aren’t committing yet.
A spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said in a statement that a thorough review of legislation will start Monday, analyzing both passed bills and “the consequences of those that did not pass.”
“We remain ready to follow the law and follow the Constitution,” said Robert Sinners, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Another path forward could be to adjudicate the matter in the courts.
“The issue of whether or not to use QR codes and how to count ballots will be left up to a court to decide. And it’s unclear what the court will decide and how long it will take to decide it,” said state Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta.
If all else fails, the state has an emergency backup system: hand-marked paper ballots.
“I believe the backup balloting process is something that needs to be looked at,” said State Election Board member Salleigh Grubbs.
It wouldn’t be the first time it’s been tried. In March 2020, Athens-Clarke County attempted to use paper ballots over concerns about the state’s touchscreens, but the State Election Board ordered them to switch back.
Some local election officials don’t see that as a viable path forward. In Cherokee County, Dover said that it would require officials to supply 90 different permutations of ballots, preprinted at each early voting site in the midterms, to accommodate different configurations of voting districts and races.
“The emergency backup system was not designed for this massive issue that we have,” Dover said. “It was more designed for if the power went out or if there was an issue at a polling location.”
The debate traces back to 2020 when Trump narrowly lost the state to Biden. Since then, Trump and his allies have pushed to scrap Georgia’s touchscreen voting machines.
Critics mistrust the QR codes used to tally votes because they’re not human-readable, leaving them unsure whether their votes were accurately counted.
Opponents of the system also point to known vulnerabilities, noting the Legislature has not funded a recommended security patch, which they say could leave the state vulnerable to tampering or hacking that could alter election results. Election officials say those flaws aren’t exploitable in a real-world situation.
In the final hours of the session, the House passed Senate Bill 214, which would transition the state from the touchscreen voting system to a new system by 2028, but the bill died when the Senate did not agree to House changes. Senate Republicans last week sent the House their proposal requiring a swap to paper ballots in time for the midterms, but the House never voted on it before they adjourned.
“Republicans have forced us into a corner now by not dealing with this, by not taking the responsibility and moving forward with the House proposal,” Draper said.
About the Author
Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.
