LISTEN: No decisions have been reached ahead of a July 1 deadline to force local boards of election to stop using QR codes on ballots. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 12, 2024 for Georgia's presidential preference primary. Voters are urged to visit mvp.sos.ga.gov to confirm their assigned polling locations before heading to the polls.

Counties are looking for a solution as a July 1 QR code deadline looms.

Credit: GPB / File

No decisions have been reached ahead of a July 1 deadline to force local boards of election to stop using QR codes to count ballots. 

The State Election Board is recommending that counties get ready to conduct elections using hand marked paper ballots after the July 1 deadline. That’s unless there are changes to a 2024 law prohibiting the use of QR codes on the back of ballots to tally election results.

When asked, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that paper ballots in November could be an option for counties, but leaders are still looking at ideas. 

“We want to make sure we pull in all the key stakeholders in that, and at the end of day, make sure that voters don't have to worry about anything," he said. "But obviously, we're good until June 30."

A bill that would have moved the deadline until after the November election passed the state House during the legislative session but stalled in the Senate. The only solutions would be for Gov. Brian Kemp to call a special session to revisit the law or for a court to find a legal solution. 

Tags: Georgia  Georgia Politics  Election 2026  State Election Board