The QR Code Fix we Deserve and We Need

Listeners to the podcast have heard me explain in great and painful detail about how Georgia has a voting system deadline that has moved from a theoretical policy debate to an immediate election administration problem.

The special election to replace the late Congressman David Scott is about to begin in the 13th Congressional District, and counties are being asked to prepare for that election immediately after finishing the primary runoffs while the state’s July 1 QR code deadline is staring them in the face.

That is not a position local election officials should have been put in.

For those who don’t listen to the pod (judgement… judgement) the General Assembly passed SB 189 in 2024, and section 7 of that bill says Georgia cannot keep using QR codes or barcodes for tabulation after July 1. But our current equipment is only capable of producing and tabulating QR ballots while the rest of election law requires in person ballots be cast and tabulated on that current equipment.

If that doesn’t make sense to you, you are beginning to understand the need for the special session (and no, it was not for redistricting, it was to fix this conflict in the law).

Adding to the problem is that the legislature did not fund, procure, test, or train counties on a replacement system.

So here we are.

The fix has to come from the legislature because a court should not have to guess what the legislature meant, a county election director should not have to choose between conflicting interpretations of state law, and the Secretary of State should not be left trying to patch together a statewide election process through guidance memos.

And don’t get me started on the State Election Board (SEB).

Today, State Senator Max Burns, introduced SB 3 EX which is a responsible way for the legislature to meet the policy goals of SB 189 section 7. I need to hammer this point home for you, Dear Reader; it is not a retreat from removing QR codes from the tabulation process, it provides the proper way to get it done.

The bill does three basic things.

First, it moves the QR code and barcode deadline to January 1, 2028.

Election systems are not swapped out on a whim. They have to be funded, procured, certified, tested, secured, delivered, programmed, explained to voters, and implemented by counties that are already operating under tight timelines and tight budgets.

Second, the bill creates a temporary Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee to help determine what Georgia’s next statewide voting system should look like.

The committee includes appointments from the Governor, the Senate, and the House, and it may seek input from the Secretary of State’s elections director, the State Election Board, local election officials, cybersecurity experts, and disability-access experts.

That is a sensible starting point.

Before the state spends a large amount of money on a new voting system, policymakers should decide what they actually want the system to do, what standards it must meet, and how counties are supposed to use it in real elections.

Third, the bill expands Georgia’s risk-limiting audit process by bringing more major races into the audit structure when they are on the ballot. I cannot put into words just how much this warms my heart; it’s like watching your baby grow up, graduate college with a Masters, and land a job that allows them to do meaningful work. I am so proud of my baby!

SB 3 EX is the right kind of election integrity improvement.

The response to concerns about voting technology should be stronger audits, clearer procedures, better transparency, and enough time for counties to do the work correctly.

I understand why many voters do not like QR codes. In fact, at the risk of being repetitive, I have been articulating those concerns since I was the only Republican in the legislature to vote against bringing Dominion style machines to Georgia. Not because I do not personally trust them, but because too many people would use them as a scapegoat to question the results of legitimate elections.

When voters can read the printed text on their ballots, but they cannot read a QR code, it creates a trust problem whether we like it or not. So that concern should be taken seriously.

But taking the concern seriously means building a real replacement plan, not forcing counties into a last-minute scramble with no funded alternative.

Georgia’s current system has risks, as every election system does, but Georgia also does a good job mitigating those risks. For my day job, I recently published a paper on this topic, which explains why, with targeted improvements (I’m coming to see you soon, SEB), those risks can be reduced even further.

Here is the TL;DR version of the paper: Voters receive a paper ballot. That ballot includes human-readable text for voters to review before casting it. Counties conduct logic and accuracy testing before elections. There are chain-of-custody requirements. And there are post-election audit procedures.

And under this SB 3 EX, the audit process would get stronger.

None of that is an argument for keeping the current system forever, but it is an argument for replacing it in a way that does not create more problems than it solves.

If the July 1 deadline takes effect without a legislative fix, the result will not be some clean victory for election integrity, but a recipe for confusion for counties, uncertainty for candidates, litigation risk for the state, and more doubt among voters who are already tired of being told every election is one lawsuit away from chaos.

Georgia does not need to create an election administration crisis in the middle of a congressional special election.

The bill also offers one, final indignity for Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger; it removes the current Secretary of State from the selection, certification, and procurement of the next system. A parting gift, perhaps, from the departing Lieutenant Governor.

But the larger direction of the bill is right.

Georgia needs a statutory fix before July 1. Check.

Georgia needs a real plan for replacing QR code tabulation. Check.

The Legislature must act and not leave this to the unelected SEB. Check.

Georgia needs to stop putting county election officials in impossible positions. Check.

And Georgia needs to remember that confidence in elections is built through careful administration, not last-minute improvisation. Check.

I know behind the scenes Senator Burns and State Representative Victor Anderson have been working feverishly to get this done. They deserve all of Georgia’s gratitude for giving us a responsible path toward the goals of SB 189.

And no, SB 3 EX is not the end of the road for election integrity. I have been preaching for a long time now that the legislature must adopt a mindset of continuous improvement. There will always be new threats that we are not yet aware of, new issues that arise, or a new technique that gets adopted as a best practice in election administration. So the legislature must, must, continually revisit the law to make sure it is producing the highest confidence elections we possibly can.

But that said, I am really proud of everyone who chipped in to help put this bill together. We need it, and we need it right now.