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Elections director says SB 189 leaves Cherokee County unprepared and unfunded for QR‑code ban
Summary
Anne, Cherokee County elections director, warned the board that Senate Bill 189’s July 1, 2026 ban on QR codes conflicts with current ballot‑marking devices, that the legislature provided no funding for needed equipment or training, and that switching to hand‑marked ballots would be costly and operationally complex.
Anne, the Cherokee County elections director, told the board the office is preparing for a busy voting season but faces a statutory deadline that could force rapid operational changes.
She said Senate Bill 189, which removes the QR code from ballots as currently produced by many ballot‑marking devices, takes effect July 1, 2026, but the legislature did not appropriate funds for the software, printers or training needed to implement the change. "Elections officials and voters in the state of Georgia have really been let down by our legislators," Anne said.
Why it matters: The county’s current ballot workflow relies on ballot‑marking devices (BMDs) that print human‑readable ballots plus a QR code. Anne said those BMDs output QR codes today, and without funding to update equipment or obtain ballot‑on‑demand printers, counties face hard choices before November. She noted the state owns most BMDs and scanners, while counties often pay other operational costs.
Anne provided several operational details: Cherokee County uses 90 ballot styles and currently lists about 223,000 registered voters. Preprinted ballots cost roughly $0.37 each, and emergency ballot stock is sized at about 10% of registered voters. Anne said buying separate preprinted ballots to cover possible party ballots in a general primary could multiply printing needs and costs, and raised concerns about secure transport and chain of custody if large volumes of preprinted ballots are required.
The board discussed alternatives. Some members recalled legislation (Senate Bill 214) that extended deadlines for testing and implementation to later years; others said the Secretary of State sought appropriations that were declined. Board members and Anne said that, while hand‑marked ballots and enhanced hand counts are feasible in smaller jurisdictions, they would create large staffing, space and time demands in Cherokee County and larger Georgia counties.
On testing and verification, Anne described logic and accuracy procedures that include hand counting of test decks before running them through scanners. The board noted that past full hand recounts required large facilities and hundreds of staff, citing the 2020 experience when county staff and volunteers took multiple days to complete a manual count.
What the board directed and next steps: The board did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting but agreed to continue planning, present budget requests to the county commissioners if needed, and consider education and outreach so voters understand options including absentee ballots. Anne said she would raise staffing and equipment needs at an 11:00 a.m. budget meeting later the same day.
