Georgia Senate Blocks Paper Ballot Mandate After 27–21 Vote Collapse
A push to require hand-marked paper ballots in Georgia failed in the state Senate, leaving election plans unsettled ahead of key deadlines.
The bill collapsed after a 27–21 vote, falling two votes short and exposing divisions over how quickly the state should overhaul its voting system.
According to WABE, the proposal would have replaced touchscreen voting machines with hand-marked ballots before upcoming elections, a shift supporters said would improve transparency.
Georgia currently uses machines that print ballots with QR codes, which critics argue voters cannot independently verify.
The failure creates a new complication because state law already mandates removing QR codes by July 1, but lawmakers have not agreed on a replacement system.
“It would be chaos if we were to implement it this fast,” said State Sen. Kim Jackson, warning about election risks.
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The breakdown highlights a broader conflict between election security concerns and the operational realities of changing systems before a major vote.
Supporters, including some Republican lawmakers, argued the state must act now to address trust issues tied to QR-coded ballots, while opponents pointed to cost, timing, and potential disruption.
With the bill missing the legislative deadline, it is likely dead for the session, though lawmakers could attempt to revive parts of it through another measure.
That leaves Georgia officials facing mounting pressure to resolve the issue before election timelines tighten.
The next move may determine how millions of ballots are cast and counted in the state this year.
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