Georgia’s Shocking Election Twist: Could QR Code Ban Cost Thousands Their Votes?

As Georgia prepares for its statewide primary elections in less than four months, a pressing question looms over the electoral process: will the state eliminate QR codes from ballots in compliance with a new law set to take effect in 2024?

During a recent budget hearing at the state Capitol, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger presented Governor Brian Kemp’s proposed budget for his office. The discussions are crucial as they touch upon the impending changes in Georgia's voting technology. The proposed budget includes $1.8 million for optical character recognition technology that would allow for scanning human-readable text on ballots, as well as $5 million earmarked for hand counting two statewide races during the 2026 election cycle. Raffensperger stated, “These funds strengthen election integrity, transparency and public confidence.”

However, a significant hurdle remains: the 2024 law explicitly prohibits the use of QR codes for tabulating ballots after June 30. Despite this, the state legislature has yet to allocate the necessary funds to transition away from QR codes before the deadline. Critics, including cybersecurity experts and advocates for hand-marked paper ballots, argue that counting should rely on text that is easily readable by humans, thus eliminating the potential vulnerabilities associated with QR codes.

In a previous estimate during the 2025 legislative session, Raffensperger indicated that fully updating the voting equipment to comply with the new law would cost approximately $66 million, significantly higher than the $32.5 million estimate discussed in 2023. This investment would be directed toward acquiring 33,000 new ballot printers, along with updated optical scanners and memory cards necessary for tabulating ballots with human-readable text.

Election administrators have stressed the urgency of this matter, indicating they would need at least six months to implement the new technology effectively. With this timeline in mind, any adjustments to Georgia’s voting equipment would need to be finalized by mid-April.

Raffensperger's current plan suggests that ballots may still be tabulated using QR codes, but with a hand recount and text audits to verify the accuracy of the results. This proposal has faced criticism from some Senate Republicans, including Senator Greg Dolezal, who co-sponsored the 2024 measure. Dolezal questioned, “In November of this year, when our voters cast votes, what are we certifying? Are we certifying a ballot that is being tabulated with a QR code or not?”

In response, Raffensperger emphasized that the General Assembly has not allocated funds for upgrading the current system, stating, “If you do fund that system, then we could talk about alternatives. But it’s not been funded and it’s not reflected in the governor’s budget.”

In addition to the QR code issue, several other election-related bills remain pending, including a proposal to switch Georgia’s voting system to hand-marked paper ballots and new regulations aimed at combating AI-generated misinformation in elections. The Senate Ethics Committee, responsible for reviewing most election-related legislation, was scheduled to convene for its first meeting of the 2026 session on Thursday.

As the clock ticks down to the primary elections, the fate of QR codes in Georgia's voting process remains uncertain. The implications of these technological changes are substantial, raising critical questions about election integrity and voter trust that will shape the future of voting in the state.