Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits the use of QR codes on election ballots in Georgia.

Highlights:

• Requires an official list of electors eligible to vote in any primary to be prepared and completed at least five calendar days prior to the first day of advanced voting in a primary or other election where the list will be used, subject to inspection (Sec. 1). 

• Establishes civil fines up to $10,000 per registration if there is a failure to comply and if an applicant is not properly removed (Sec. 2). 

• Requires all voting equipment to be the same across the county, state, and federal levels, and must be delivered once approved by the Secretary of State (Sec. 4). 

• Requires all federal, state, and county general primaries and elections (including special elections) to be conducted with the use of optical scanning voting systems through preprinted hand marked paper ballots (Sec. 4). 

• Requires paper ballots to be scanned with an infrared light to detect counterfeit ballots, and scanners to be available and accessible at each polling place (Sec. 4). 

• Requires clear printing of ballots with black text on a white background for easy readability (Sec. 5). 

• Requires ballots to be printed on security paper that incorporates features which can be used to authenticate the ballot through the scanning process (Sec. 6). 

• Requires the Secretary of State to post on its office’s website the following information (Sec. 10): 

• Number of ballots cast at the polls the day of the primary, election, or runoff, including provisional ballots;

• Number of ballots cast at advance voting locations during the advance voting period for the primary, election, or runoff; 

• Total number of absentee ballots returned to the board of registrars by the deadline to receive on the day of the primary, election, or runoff; and

• An enumerated list of electors who cast their ballots during the primary, election, or runoff. 

• Authorizes the superintendent to exclude the poll of a precinct if more ballots were found than registered electors in the precinct for primaries or elections (Sec. 12). 

• Requires all scans of ballots to be posted and include authentication files for each precinct/county no later than 5PM on the second Friday following the election (Sec. 12). 

• Requires recounts of ballots to be manually hand-counted of all ballots cast in a primary or election (Sec. 13). 

• Authorizes local election superintendents to conduct precertification risk-limiting audits following any election if the President, United States Senator, United States Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, or Attorney General is on a ballot (Sec. 14). 

• Requires the State Election Board to oversee this system for elections (Sec. 14). 

• Requires all laws and parts of laws that conflict with this Act are to be repealed (Sec. 15).

Full Bill Text