Georgia lawmakers move to address QR-code vote counting ban that takes effect in weeks

Georgia lawmakers are scheduled to consider legislation this week aimed at preventing disruption to the state’s vote-tallying process after July 1, when a previously enacted law will prohibit the use of a ballot QR code for counting beyond that date, according to PBS NewsHour Politics. The issue centers on how Georgia converts ballots into machine-readable data during tabulation.

Under the law described by PBS, Georgia’s election system currently relies on a QR code printed on ballots for tabulating results. The statute bars the QR code from being used to count votes after July 1 this year, but lawmakers did not implement a replacement counting method when the prohibition was enacted two years earlier, PBS reported.

PBS said lawmakers are now attempting to identify a fix that would allow election officials to continue counting ballots after the QR-code restriction begins. The timing is critical because statewide elections and other scheduled voting activity typically require established, tested procedures for tabulation well ahead of election day.

The immediate question before legislators is what method, if any, will be substituted for the QR-code process currently used in tabulation. PBS described the absence of an implemented alternative method as leaving Georgia with a looming operational gap for counting beyond July 1.

No replacement mechanism was described by PBS as being ready to take effect when the QR-code prohibition begins. That raises the possibility that any fix would need to be enacted and implemented through Georgia’s election administration process before it becomes effective.

The state’s effort also highlights how Georgia’s election administration depends on compliance with changes made through state law, including rules governing the mechanics of how ballots are read and processed. PBS characterized lawmakers’ action as part of an effort to align the state’s tabulation procedures with the statutory deadline while avoiding interruption to vote counting operations.

PBS reported that lawmakers are working toward a solution during the current legislative window. The scope and timing of any changes would determine whether election officials can continue using existing workflow steps or whether the process would require adjustments to equipment, procedures, and testing ahead of the July 1 cutoff.

As lawmakers consider the proposed fix, the practical outcome will depend on whether the legislative proposal provides a new, legally authorized method for tabulation after the QR-code ban takes effect and how quickly election officials can operationalize that method under Georgia’s election administration framework, PBS reported.