ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia General Assembly ended its annual session early Friday without a plan for new equipment to overhaul the state’s voting system by a July deadline, plunging into doubt the future of elections in the political battleground.
The lawmakers’ failure to offer a solution after months of debate raises uncertainty about how Georgians will vote in November and leaves confusion that could end in the courts or a special legislative session.
Democratic state Rep. Saira Draper criticized the inaction by the Republican-controlled legislature, stating, “They’ve abdicated their responsibility.”
Currently, voters use Dominion Voting machines, which print ballots with QR codes that scanners read to tally votes. These machines have come under fire from former President Donald Trump following his 2020 election loss. In response, Trump’s supporters in Georgia enacted a law in 2024 that prohibits using barcodes for vote counting.
However, state law still mandates that counties use the machines, and there has been no allocation of funds to reprogram or replace them.
“If we don't come to a resolution, we could be required to use hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots in November,” said Victor Anderson, House Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman.
Election officials indicated that a sudden shift to a new system, as some Republicans have suggested, would be nearly impossible in the short timeframe remaining.
This situation has left Georgia's election preparations in an uncharted territory, with officials looking to the Secretary of State for guidance. As the clock ticks down to the November elections, the need for legislative action is increasingly urgent.
The lawmakers’ failure to offer a solution after months of debate raises uncertainty about how Georgians will vote in November and leaves confusion that could end in the courts or a special legislative session.
Democratic state Rep. Saira Draper criticized the inaction by the Republican-controlled legislature, stating, “They’ve abdicated their responsibility.”
Currently, voters use Dominion Voting machines, which print ballots with QR codes that scanners read to tally votes. These machines have come under fire from former President Donald Trump following his 2020 election loss. In response, Trump’s supporters in Georgia enacted a law in 2024 that prohibits using barcodes for vote counting.
However, state law still mandates that counties use the machines, and there has been no allocation of funds to reprogram or replace them.
“If we don't come to a resolution, we could be required to use hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots in November,” said Victor Anderson, House Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman.
Election officials indicated that a sudden shift to a new system, as some Republicans have suggested, would be nearly impossible in the short timeframe remaining.
This situation has left Georgia's election preparations in an uncharted territory, with officials looking to the Secretary of State for guidance. As the clock ticks down to the November elections, the need for legislative action is increasingly urgent.
