TL;DR
A conspiracy theory alleging QR codes are used to rig elections has caused political and logistical turmoil in Georgia, just six months before the midterms. State officials remain uncertain about how ballots will be processed as efforts to replace or bypass QR codes have stalled.
A conspiracy theory claiming QR codes on ballots could rig elections has led to chaos in Georgia’s election preparations, with officials unsure how voting results will be tabulated in the upcoming midterms.
Georgia adopted new voting machines in 2019 featuring QR codes that encode voters’ selections, but critics, including election skeptics like Garland Favorito, have alleged these codes could be exploited for election rigging. Favorito, a long-time election denier, filed a lawsuit in 2021 to ban QR codes, though it was unsuccessful. Despite multiple audits and investigations confirming the security of Georgia’s voting systems, Favorito and others continue to promote the conspiracy, influencing legislation that bans QR codes by 2026. However, the state legislature has yet to establish a replacement system, leaving election officials uncertain how ballots will be processed for the upcoming midterms. Georgia law permits hand-marked paper ballots for emergencies, but this is not a practical solution for all voters. In March 2025, former President Trump signed an executive order demanding a nationwide ban on QR code vote counting, further fueling the controversy. As the deadline approaches, officials like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have declined to specify how ballots will be counted, citing ongoing efforts to resolve the issue.
Why It Matters
This situation underscores how misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories can disrupt election logistics and undermine public trust in voting systems. The unresolved dispute over QR codes threatens to complicate vote counting and could impact election integrity and voter confidence in Georgia’s midterm elections.
hand-marked paper ballot voting machine
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Background
Georgia introduced new voting machines in 2019, spending $107 million on Dominion systems that produce paper ballots with QR codes. The controversy over these codes stems from long-standing claims by election deniers that they could be exploited to rig elections, despite no evidence supporting such claims. Favorito, a prominent figure in the election denial community, has been a vocal critic of QR codes since 2021, framing them as a security threat. The legislation banning QR codes was passed in 2024, with a deadline set for 2026, but the state has not yet developed a replacement system. The issue gained renewed urgency after Trump’s 2025 executive order aimed at banning QR code vote counting nationwide. As election day nears, officials remain uncertain how ballots will be processed, with some proposing temporary solutions that may be legally questionable.
“The folks who are desperate to remove the QR codes think that our elections are vulnerable, that they’re being hacked or rigged, that fraud is rampant and widespread.”
— Sara Tindall Ghazal, Georgia’s State Election Board member
“Georgia runs post-election audits based on the human-readable text, so QR codes or other machine encoding of voter choices are not a security risk for Georgia elections.”
— Ben Adida, executive director of VotingWorks
“We are working on it,”
— Carter Chapman, spokesperson for Governor Brian Kemp
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What Remains Unclear
It is still unclear how Georgia will count ballots in the upcoming midterms, as the legislature has not approved a replacement system for QR codes, and officials have not provided specific plans or timelines.
vote counting ballot scanner
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What’s Next
Georgia officials are expected to finalize a plan for ballot processing before the midterms, possibly through special legislative sessions or interim measures. Monitoring developments from state authorities and election boards will be critical in the coming months.
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Key Questions
Why are QR codes controversial in Georgia elections?
Critics claim QR codes could be exploited to rig elections because they are not human-readable and could encode manipulated vote data, although no evidence supports these claims.
What is Georgia doing to replace QR codes?
The state legislature has not yet approved a specific replacement system, and officials are working on interim solutions, but details remain unclear as the midterms approach.
Could the midterm election be affected by this issue?
Yes, uncertainty over ballot counting methods could impact the election process and public confidence, especially if no clear or approved system is in place before voting begins.
Is there any evidence that QR codes have been used to rig elections?
No, multiple audits and investigations have confirmed the security of Georgia’s voting systems, and there is no evidence QR codes have been exploited for fraud.
