Georgia Voters Keep QR Codes on Ballot Printouts This Election

Georgia voters will see a QR code on their machine-generated ballot printouts in the 2026 general election. The code will remain because state lawmakers delayed a rule intended to phase out the technology for counting votes.

The printouts will display both the QR code and a text list of the voter's selections. Senate Bill 189, passed in 2024, originally scheduled the switch to text-only tabulation for July 1, 2026. That date is now pushed back to January 1, 2028, following legislative action in 2026.

The delay occurred because legislators did not pass a replacement method for the QR code system during their regular session this spring. They convened a special session in June and passed Senate Bill 3EX. Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill, which also established a state committee to design a new election equipment system based on hand-marked paper ballots.

The new committee must submit a report with specifications for the uniform system by January 31, 2027. Until that new system is implemented, the current voting machines will continue to rely on the QR code for initial vote tabulation, recounts, and audits.

Senate Bill 3EX also introduced a stricter recount requirement for the upcoming general election. The secretary of state is now required to order a full hand recount if a qualifying contest is decided by a margin of 0.5 percent or less.

This mandatory recount rule applies to contests for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and state school superintendent. It also covers the insurance, agriculture, and labor commissioner races, but only if those contests appear as the first or second item on the ballot.