Committee told Georgia must plan now for SB189 QR-code ban and possible move to hand-marked ballots

The committee heard repeated calls to plan for an upcoming statutory and technical deadline: Senate Bill 189 (2024) directs that human-readable marks must be the basis for tabulation and that QR codes or similar encodings cannot be relied on as the primary tabulation source after the statutory date specified in that law.

Why it matters: Several presenters told the committee that current voting equipment and the software that supports barcode/QR tabulation will require significant changes for compliance and that counties, many already operating with thin budgets and staff, need clarity and funding to comply.

Key points raised: - Legal mandate: Several presenters noted the 2026 implementation date embedded in legislation and said the state and counties must choose a compliant system before that deadline. Brad Carver said, "next year July 1, we have the mandate to conduct elections without the QR code." - Options: Public commenters and several speakers recommended hand-marked paper ballots with optical-scan readers at the precinct or county as a tested, auditable alternative. Liz Troop told the committee hand-marked optical-scan ballots are the "gold standard" and said the committee should develop a pathway now. - Costs and timing: Blake Evans provided estimates for a ballot-image audit implementation ($1.7M$1.8M initial; lower per-election thereafter) and emphasized that vendors, counties and the state must coordinate on procurement and certification. Several county and civic speakers urged an orderly statewide plan and federal-standards review to ensure new solutions meet state and federal requirements.

Ending note: The committee signaled it will investigate compliant alternatives, the fiscal impact on counties and procurement and certification paths; public comment overwhelmingly supported hand-marked paper ballots and precinct-level processing as the most auditable option.