Georgia’s voting-machine fight could soon become a nine-figure prize for private vendors as lawmakers return to Atlanta to settle a self-made ballot-counting deadline.
Gov. Brian Kemp called lawmakers back for a June 17 special session to address redistricting and Georgia’s July 1 deadline to stop using Quick Response codes to tally ballots. The deadline came from Senate Bill 189, a 2024 law requiring votes on ballot-marking-device ballots to be counted by human-readable text or machine marks instead of machine coding.
That unresolved mandate has created a scramble. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that vendors are positioning for a rare statewide contract worth upward of $100 million, with Georgia’s election system potentially up for bid before the 2028 presidential election. The state’s current Dominion Voting Systems equipment cost about $107 million when it rolled out before the 2020 primaries, and the 10-year contract expires in 2029.
Election Systems & Software brought touchscreens and tabulators to the Capitol during the legislative session, while Liberty Vote increased its lobbying presence. Georgia is especially attractive because it uses one statewide system, unlike many large states where counties choose among several certified systems.
Election officials say politics are colliding with logistics. The Current reported that one failed proposal would have started procurement after Feb. 1, 2027, with full implementation by 2028, while local officials warned a responsible transition takes time.
Critics argue voters cannot verify the Quick Response codes scanners read. But election administrators warn that switching suddenly to hand-marked or hand-counted ballots could cause confusion before November.
Lawmakers may frame the June session as an election-integrity fix. But vendors, lobbyists and taxpayers all have reason to watch closely, because Georgia’s next voting system could become one of the biggest public technology purchases in state politics.
