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Cherokee County elections officials urge state action as July 1 QR-code ban clashes with ballot-marking-device law
Summary
Board members and the Elections Director warned that a July 1 state ban on using QR codes to tabulate ballots conflicts with another law requiring ballot-marking devices, leaving counties without clear guidance; the board moved to draft a letter urging Governor Brian Kemp to call a special session to resolve the conflict.
Board members and the Elections Director told the Cherokee County Board of Elections that a looming July 1 deadline banning use of QR codes for tabulation conflicts with a separate law requiring ballot-marking devices (BMDs), leaving counties uncertain how to proceed for upcoming elections.
Elections Director Anne said the conflict means "we can no longer use the QR code to tabulate the election results" after July 1, but that the BMDs in use today still print QR codes. "We have no answer as to what we're going to do to go forward," she said, describing discussions with larger counties and state officials and a rules petition that was voted down by the State Election Board.
Why it matters: Board members said the deadline could force counties to shift to hand counts, buy new printers or equipment, or delay result reporting — each option would require significant additional staff time, training and budget. Anne estimated that county costs could be "$300,000-$400,000" depending on state direction and said ballot-on-demand printers have procurement lead times of six to 12 months, making them impractical for the immediate timetable.
Options and constraints: Board members discussed hand counts (labor-intensive, error-prone and time-consuming), the requirement to maintain a uniform statewide voting system, and the practical challenge of printing and securely storing many ballot varieties (Anne said Cherokee County has 90 ballot styles). Anne noted that a hand-count approach used in 2020 required more than 100 people and took multiple days.
Board action: A member moved and a colleague seconded a motion to draft a letter to Governor Brian Kemp urging a special legislative session limited to resolving the July 1 QR-code deadline, and members discussed suggesting a window shortly after the runoff and before July 1 (the week of June 21 was proposed). Members emphasized they did not intend to advocate a particular technical fix in the letter, only to request clear, rapid guidance.
What’s next: Staff will draft the county's letter and return to the board for finalization as the Board monitors state action. Board members said resolving the conflict quickly is critical to allow poll worker training beginning in September and to give counties time to implement any changes before the general election.
