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Georgia election bill deadlines: New law delays ballot QR code removal

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Georgia election bill deadlines: New law delays ballot QR code removal


Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new election bill into law Thursday, shifting key deadlines and rules for county election workers ahead of the upcoming midterms.

Election officials caught in limbo

What we know:

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Long before Georgians head to the polls to cast their ballots, election officials are working hard behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and accurate process.

As a July 1 deadline approached to eliminate QR codes from ballots, those tasked with running local elections were caught in limbo in the middle of a big election year.

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Clear path forward voting

What they’re saying:

Joseph Kirk, the Bartow County Elections Director and President of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials told FOX 5, “We had one law that would’ve gone into effect on July 1st that didn’t match the rest of our election code, and people like me can’t choose which laws to follow, which laws not to follow, so we were really stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

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With the legislature approving a bill to extend that QR code deadline to January 2028, local officials finally have a clear path forward.

“I’m so grateful they came in. They gave us a clear path forward, and some new tools to go with it,” said Kirk.

The bill keeps QR codes in place until January 2028, while creating a special committee to choose the state’s next voting system.

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Hand recounts, audits new limits

Dig deeper:

It also limits hand recounts strictly to governor and lieutenant governor races where the margin is within half a percent, while mandating extra post-election audits for certain statewide contests.

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“I think what’s important for the voters to know is nothing is going to look different this year.” Kirk explained. “As folks come in to vote for the rest of the year, they will still, in person, use the same ballot marking device that prints the same ballot we are used to seeing.”

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Gov. Brian Kemp’s legislative actions, as well as an interview with Bartow County Elections Director Joseph Kirk.

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Georgia Bulldogs News: Big time commitment, injury rumor, Stetson Bennett disrespect

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Georgia Bulldogs News: Big time commitment, injury rumor, Stetson Bennett disrespect


Saturday was a massive day for Georgia as they earned one of their biggest commitments of the 2027 recruiting cycle. The Bulldogs however were also dealt some terrible news as well.

A new injury rumor is taking over social media and former Georgia legend Stetson Bennett was crazily disrespected as well. But let’s start with the good news first and give it the flowers it deserves before diving into what could end up being a season-altering injury for Georgia.

4-star safety Adryan Cole commits to Georgia

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Heading into Friday the Bulldogs had zero defensive backs committed to their 2027 recruiting class. That however changed in a big way as four-star safety Adryan Cole announced his commitment to Georgia on Saturday over LSU, Florida and Ole Miss.

The Peach State safety is the No. 166 overall player in the country and the No. 15 player from the state of Georgia. Based on his ranking alone it’s clear that this commitment is a big deal, but the fact that Georgia finally has a defensive back commit is why his commitment mattered so much.

Georgia still has a lot of work to do to improve their recruiting class, but they now have the No. 12 class in the country and are trending in the right direction.

Transfer RB Dante Dowdell rumored to have suffered a season ending injury

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Georgia already lost one transfer for the season when Auburn transfer linebacker Amaris Williams tore his ACL during spring ball. Unfortunately rumors are swirling that another transfer could be out for the season as well.

Kentucky transfer running back Dante Dowdell is rumored to have suffered a pretty serious injury caused by an ATV accident. Nothing specifically has come out about this injury yet, but rumors are saying he could be done for the season.

It’s important to note that right now nothing has been 100 percent confirmed. On3 insiders did hint at a major injury occurring though and some fans online have pieced together that it could be Dowdell. It’s impossible to say for sure that anything has happened, but Georgia fans will soon get confirmation about these rumors likely at SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

Stetson Bennett deemed “expendable” but clueless reporter

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Stetson Bennett’s NFL career hit a major roadblock when the LA Rams drafted former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. This showed that the Rams don’t fully trust Bennett, but they did say he has a chance to compete against and beat out Simpson to be their backup quarterback this year.

So far reports have indicated that Bennett is leading that competition, but one reporter has no faith in Bennett. In fact, he went as far as to say that he is “expendable.”

Bennett does face an uphill battle if he is going to make it in LA. The Rams clearly think that Simpson is their guy or else they wouldn’t have used a first round pick on him. On top of that, Bennett’s contract expires after this season as well.

Throughout Bennett’s career though he has proven everyone wrong, and if he was given the chance he’d likely do the same in LA. So to say that he is expendable is absolutely insane and disrespectful to one of the better college quarterbacks of this decade.

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All he needs is one chance, and hopefully the Rams will finally give him that this year.

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Vintage WWII aircraft makes emergency landing on Georgia highway

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Vintage WWII aircraft makes emergency landing on Georgia highway


A historic World War II-era Vultee BT-13A Valiant aircraft sits on the shoulder of Highway 19 South near Thomaston after experiencing mechanical failure and making a successful emergency landing during a cross-country flight on July 17, 2026. (Upson County Sheriff’s Office)

A historic World War II-era aircraft made an emergency landing on a Georgia highway south of Thomaston on Friday after experiencing mechanical problems during a cross-country flight. 

Upson County emergency landing

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What we know:

A vintage Vultee BT-13A Valiant aircraft landed on Highway 19 south near John B. Gordon Road just after 1 p.m. Friday, according to the Upson County Sheriff’s Office. The plane was traveling from Punta Gorda, Florida to a vintage airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin when mechanical problems forced it down approximately 5 1/2 miles south of Thomaston. 

There were no injuries reported on the scene. Deputies quickly pushed the aircraft out of the roadway, and an Atlanta air recovery crew later used a crane to load it onto a trailer for transport to a Taylor County airport for repairs. 

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Vintage aircraft investigation

What we don’t know:

Officials have not yet confirmed the exact nature of the mechanical failure that forced the pilot to land on the busy highway. The sheriff’s office has also not released the identities or total number of occupants who were inside the plane during the emergency landing. 

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Historic wartime trainer

The backstory:

The Vultee BT-13A Valiant served as a vital bridge to the skies for thousands of American military pilots during World War II. Wartime flight schools relied heavily on the all-metal monoplane to teach cadets complex maneuvers, navigation and instrument flying. 

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Cadets transitioned to this heavier, more powerful plane after completing simple primary training in fabric-and-wood biplanes. Powered by a 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney radial engine, its intense cockpit vibrations earned it the famous nickname, the “Vultee Vibrator.” 

Valiant aviation data

By the numbers:

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  • 11,538: The total number of Valiant aircraft produced across all variants during World War II. 
  • 7,397: The exact number of specific BT-13A models built before production ended in 1944. 
  • 40: The estimated number of airworthy BT-13A trainers that still remain in flying condition. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore, who explained the details of the highway landing and recovery operation through official news releases, as well as historical aviation data regarding the Vultee BT-13A aircraft. 

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No AC in Georgia? No way! These counties have highest rates of homes without

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No AC in Georgia? No way! These counties have highest rates of homes without


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Air conditioning is a necessity for many Georgians during the summer, but new data suggests thousands of households across the state are still living without it.

A new analysis by Hard Rock Bet, using U.S. Census Bureau data, estimates that 36,333 occupied households in Georgia do not have air conditioning.

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While that may sound high, Georgia actually ranks among the states with the best access to air conditioning, placing No. 8 nationally for household AC coverage.

Here’s what else to know.

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Which Georgia counties have the most homes without air conditioning?

According to the analysis, Fulton County has the largest estimated number of households without air conditioning, with 3,657 homes.

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The counties with the highest estimated number of households without AC are:

  • Fulton County: 3,657
  • DeKalb County: 1,999
  • Cobb County: 1,762
  • Gwinnett County: 1,291
  • Chatham County: 1,189

Which counties have the highest percentage of homes without AC?

Among Georgia counties with more than 100,000 occupied households, Hall County had the highest estimated share of homes without air conditioning.

The highest percentages were:

  • Hall County: 1.3%
  • Muscogee County: 1.1%
  • Bibb County: 1.1%
  • Chatham County: 1.0%
  • Richmond County: 1.0%

How does Georgia compare nationally?

The report estimates that 99.09% of occupied households in Georgia have air conditioning, giving the state the eighth-highest household AC coverage in the country.

Only Florida, Delaware, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska and Missouri ranked higher.

The findings are based on U.S. Census Bureau housing estimates comparing occupied households with homes that have and do not have air conditioning.

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For more information, visit hardrock.bet.

Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.



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