Georgia election board rejects proposal to expand use of hand-marked paper ballots

Georgia’s State Election Board on Wednesday narrowly rejected a proposal that would have clarified when counties may use hand-marked paper ballots instead of the state’s mandated touchscreen voting machines. The vote revived long-running tensions over ballot security, voter privacy, and the limits of the board’s power.

According to reporting from The Associated Press, the rule failed on a 2-2 vote after a debate that stretched well beyond technical questions and into political and legal territory.

“This really is the duty and the job of the legislators,” Vice Chair Janice Johnston told AP News, despite opposition regarding the proposal as an overstep of authority. Yet, her vote against the measure did not translate to full support of the current system; Johnston also acknowledged frustrations with Georgia’s continued use of QR codes on ballots.

Supporters of the paper ballot rule — including Democratic county official Jeanne Dufort and Georgia GOP First Vice Chair Salleigh Grubbs — told AP News that voters lack confidence in a system where they cannot read the codes used to tally votes.

Dufort argued that privacy concerns and machine limitations extend beyond emergencies. “There are a variety of reasons why the primary method of marking your ballot isn’t usable,” she said.

Hand-marked ballots are currently limited to emergency scenarios, and AP News reports the proposed rule would have broadened that definition to include circumstances where machines might compromise voter privacy or accuracy.

Key lawmakers and the state attorney general’s office urged the board not to move ahead, citing a Georgia Supreme Court ruling that limits the board’s authority to implementing election law.

As AP News notes, board members now say they will press lawmakers to take up the issue when the Legislature reconvenes.