Georgia Republicans Poised to Keep Dominion QR‑Code Machines for 2026 Election Despite Unfunded Barcode Ban Law
Georgia’s 2024 law set a July 1, 2026 deadline to remove machine‑printed barcodes from ballots, but the legislature provided no funding to implement the change, forcing officials to abandon impractical fixes (like hand‑counting in‑person ballots or single‑site early voting) and making it likely Dominion QR‑code tabulators will remain in use for the 2026 election. Dominion issued software patches after the Coffee County breach that were not funded for installation by Republican legislators, and a federal judge has blocked President Trump’s March 2025 executive order that would have largely banned barcodes.
📌 Key Facts
- Georgia’s 2024 law set a July 1, 2026 deadline to remove machine‑printed barcodes (QR codes) from ballots, but the legislature provided no funding to implement the change.
- Because the barcode‑removal mandate is unfunded, Georgia Republicans are poised to keep the current Dominion QR‑code machines for the 2026 election.
- Officials considered—and later abandoned—specific plans to meet the July 2026 deadline, including hand‑counting every in‑person ballot before Election Day and forcing voters to use a single assigned early‑voting site rather than countywide early voting.
- Georgia State Election Board member Salleigh Grubbs publicly demanded “HAND. MARKED. PAPER. BALLOTS.” and refused to compromise after news of a proposed delay leaked.
- Dominion issued software patches to fix vulnerabilities found after the Coffee County breach, but Republican legislators did not allocate funds for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to apply those updates.
- President Trump’s March 2025 executive order that would largely ban barcodes in vote‑counting is currently blocked by a federal judge in a lawsuit brought by the state of Washington.
📊 Relevant Data
Fulton County, Georgia, the center of 2020 election fraud claims, has a population that is 44.8% Black alone and 43.7% White alone according to the 2020 Census, making Black residents the largest racial group.
Fulton County, Georgia - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
In Georgia's 2022 midterm elections, the racial turnout gap persisted, with White voter turnout higher than Black voter turnout, and the gap grew compared to previous cycles.
Georgia's Racial Turnout Gap Grew in 2022 — Brennan Center for Justice
Georgia's foreign-born population increased from less than 2% in 1980 to more than 10% by 2023, driven by immigration, contributing to overall population growth of 10.9% between 2015 and 2025.
Shaping Georgia: The Effects of Immigration, 1970-2020 — Center for Immigration Studies
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act contributed to nationwide increases in immigration, leading to Georgia's immigrant population growing more than four times faster than the national rate between 1970 and 1990, with ongoing effects on population diversity.
Shaping Georgia: The Effects of Immigration, 1970-2020 — Center for Immigration Studies
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that Georgia’s 2024 law set a July 1, 2026 deadline to remove machine‑printed barcodes (QR codes) from ballots, but the legislature has provided no funding to implement the change.
- Details specific, now‑abandoned proposals to meet the barcode‑removal deadline, including hand‑counting every in‑person ballot before Election Day and forcing voters to use a single assigned early‑voting site instead of countywide early voting.
- Quotes Georgia State Election Board member Salleigh Grubbs publicly demanding "HAND. MARKED. PAPER. BALLOTS" and refusing to compromise as news of a proposed delay leaked.
- Explains that Dominion issued software patches to address documented vulnerabilities exposed after the Coffee County breach, but Republican legislators did not allocate money for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to apply those updates.
- Notes that Trump’s March 2025 executive order intended to mostly ban barcodes in vote‑counting is currently blocked by a federal judge in a lawsuit brought by the state of Washington.