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

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. – 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:

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.

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.”

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.

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.

“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.”