Ware County elections supervisor warns QR-code rule ends July 2026; counties face costly choices

Carlos Nelson, Ware County Board of Elections supervisor, told the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 22 that the county must prepare now for a statewide change affecting voting equipment.

"All QR codes are off in July 2026," Nelson said, outlining three costly choices: replace all equipment, upgrade existing machines, or return to paper ballots. He said the State of Georgia pays for voting equipment but counties handle maintenance and local training. "If the choice is to go to paper ballots, Ware would need at least 20,000. However, during a primary, that number could increase to 45,000," Nelson said.

Commissioner Barry Cox asked whether Georgia would cover equipment costs. Nelson answered that the State purchases equipment but counties pay maintenance; he said Ware County typically purchases a basic maintenance contract for about $2,000, while a fuller contract can cost about $20,000 per year. Nelson cautioned that volunteer training to use replacement or new equipment will be time-consuming and that he is "anticipating a repeal of this law." Danny Bartlett, identified in the record as Board of Elections Chairman, said the elections staff "always precheck one precinct every time, and they have only found one (1) human error," adding that concerns about machine hacking can discourage turnout.

Nelson also said QR codes, while reporting less than 1% error, "do not offer transparency," which partly explains calls to move away from them. He encouraged commissioners to consult legislators and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) about options and funding. The commission did not take a formal vote on the equipment options at this meeting.

The county has several planning and procurement decisions to make before the July 2026 cutoff, including potential costs for replacement equipment, ongoing maintenance contracts, and a volunteer-training timeline.