Banned QR codes force emergency Georgia voting system replacement
Georgia lawmakers consider voting system overhaul
Georgia lawmakers are convening in a high-stakes special legislative session at the State Capitol to rush through a replacement plan for the state's banned electronic voting machines before a critical July 1 deadline.
ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers returned to the State Capitol for a high-stakes special legislative session this week to establish a new electronic voting system before a critical summer deadline expires.
What we know:
The Georgia Legislature passed a bill two years ago that banned voting machines using QR codes to count ballots, setting a strict deadline for this July 1. Because lawmakers adjourned their regular session in April without selecting a replacement system, they were called back for an emergency special session this week to resolve the electronic voting equipment issues.
Republican lawmakers introduced a new measure to establish the Election Equipment, Specifications and Standards Committee. Under the Republican plan, the state would push back its hard deadline to completely drop the current technology until January 1, 2028. The bill tasks the new panel with fully vetting cybersecurity concerns and compiling a comprehensive system report by January 31, 2027.
What they're saying:
Democratic lawmakers are crying foul over the fast-tracked proposal, claiming they are being completely shut out of the decision-making process. Opponents highlighted that the legislation passed a key initial hurdle late last night, yet some lawmakers admitted they saw the text for the first time on Thursday.
"We would take the fall to fully vet this issue and then come up with a report by January 31st of 2027 to provide the specifications and standards for all future election equipment, electronic equipment, elections equipment for Georgia, probably for the next decade. It's a critical committee. It's a critical decision," said Sen. Max Burns (R-Sylvania).
"We didn't get the bill until late last night. You actually heard one Republican say he had seen it for the first time today. So the bill itself has problems because we haven't really had time to vet it," said Sen. Harold Jones (D-Augusta).
"They are cementing right now that it will be Republicans who select the committee, Republicans who do all their research on what kind of system we use, even if, in November, we have a blue wave, and we have a blue lieutenant governor, a blue governor and a blue legislature they're maintaining their control in their power right now," said Sen. Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain).
What we don't know:
Critics argue the proposal leaves too many unanswered questions because it fails to guarantee Democrats a single seat on the panel, remains vague on exactly who the cybersecurity experts will be, and skips requirements for public input. It remains unclear if Republican leadership will amend the text to include bipartisan guarantees or public comment sessions before the final votes are cast.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Georgia lawmakers, who explained how we got it through official legislative tracking records, internal committee vote counts, and direct statements from Sen. Max Burns, Sen. Harold Jones and Sen. Kim Jackson at the State Capitol.