On June 25, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation delaying the implementation of a state law banning the use of QR codes and other machine coding in ballot tabulation.

In 2024, lawmakers enacted a bill prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine coding in ballot tabulation, starting on July 1, 2026. Currently, Georgia uses voting machines that print QR codes on ballots to count votes. Those machines were not replaced before the July deadline.

Kemp called a special session in May to postpone the implementation of the QR code prohibition and consider congressional redistricting. Legislators later said they would not take up redistricting during the session.

The new law, Senate Bill 3EX, sets a 2028 deadline to eliminate the use of QR codes for ballot tabulation and requires a committee to recommend standards for new election equipment. 

The bill also requires automatic hand recounts in any statewide executive races listed first or second on the ballot that are decided by less than 0.5% of the vote, making Georgia the 29th state to require automatic recounts in at least some races.

The final version of SB 3EX passed the state House 94-79 on June 23, with 93 Republicans and one Democrat voting in favor, and three Republicans and 76 Democrats voting in opposition. The state Senate agreed to the amended version later that day, 36-16, with 32 Republicans and four Democrats voting in favor and 16 Democrats in opposition. 

Speaking on the Senate floor, state Sen. Max Burns (R) said the bill “ensures that Georgia moves forward, that our elections are safe and secure, that we are prepared for not only 2026 elections but also for ’27 and ’28 and beyond.”

State Rep. Debra Bazemore (D) said in the state House that the “question is whether the bill actually improves election integrity or whether it creates a new opportunity to cast doubt on legitimate election results. I believe it does the latter.”

SB 3EX is the ninth election-related bill enacted in Georgia this year and the only elections bill enacted during the special session.