Story perspectives

Georgia Delays Hand-Marked Ballots, Keeps Touchscreen Voting

3/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Georgia lawmakers will retain touchscreen voting machines for the midterms and delay hand-marked ballots until 2028.
The state faced challenges meeting a July 1 deadline to remove QR codes.
Proposals to hand-count every ballot were deemed unfeasible.
State Rep. Victor Anderson called for a clear plan to avoid chaos.
Local officials supported the delay to ensure successful election management amid ongoing concerns about voting system integrity since Trump's 2020 loss.

History

Historical Context

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting, particularly in Southern states like Georgia, where over 50% of Black voters were disenfranchised. This landmark legislation followed decades of systemic barriers, including literacy tests and poll taxes, and significantly increased Black voter registration, reflecting ongoing struggles for electoral integrity and representation in American democracy.

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Story summary

Georgia lawmakers will retain touchscreen voting machines for the midterms and delay hand-marked ballots until 2028.
The state faced challenges meeting a July 1 deadline to remove QR codes.
Proposals to hand-count every ballot were deemed unfeasible.
State Rep. Victor Anderson called for a clear plan to avoid chaos.
Local officials supported the delay to ensure successful election management amid ongoing concerns about voting system integrity since Trump's 2020 loss.

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