by Cheryl Billard and Corrie Emerson
Georgia’s legislature passed Senate Bill 3EX during a special session in June 2026, and Governor Brian Kemp signed it into law. The bill changes how local election officials will administer parts of this year’s elections, while pushing other changes past November. Here’s what’s different and what stays the same heading into the midterms.
Will Georgia use the same voting machines it’s used in past elections?
Yes, for this year’s elections. Voters casting ballots in person will continue to use the Liberty Vote (Dominion) ImageCast X to mark their ballots, a touchscreen ballot-marking device Georgia has used statewide since 2020. The machine prints a paper ballot showing a voter’s selections, which the voter should double check before feeding it into the scanner. Georgia counties will continue to use the same scanners, the Liberty Vote (Dominion) ImageCast Precinct.
When will Georgia’s voting machines change? What will they change to?
SB 3EX created a new Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee (its members are linked here) to recommend specifications for a new statewide system based upon using hand-marked paper ballots printed on demand.
The committee’s report is due January 31, 2027, and lawmakers will then need to fund, procure, and roll out any new system in time for the 2028 election cycle. The bill also bars the sitting Secretary of State from any role in selecting or procuring that new system, unless the committee itself votes to bring in the Secretary of State’s elections director or another staff member for input.
Has anything changed with registration or voting-by-mail deadlines?
No. SB 3EX doesn’t touch registration or absentee voting deadlines or procedures. For the November 3 general election, the first day to request an absentee ballot was August 17, and the voter registration deadline is October 5.
- Check your registration status, polling place, and sample ballot at Georgia’s My Voter Page: mvp.sos.ga.gov
- Register to vote online at registertovote.sos.ga.gov
- Request and track an absentee ballot at securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov, or check your absentee status through the My Voter Page: mvp.sos.ga.gov
Is my local elections office still in charge of administering the election?
Yes. County election officials still run every stage of the process, from checking in voters to counting ballots. The Secretary of State’s office oversees statewide administration and certifies the final results once each county certifies its own. SB 3EX doesn’t move any of that authority. It limits the Secretary of State’s role in one specific area: choosing the state’s next voting system.
What’s happening with QR codes on my ballot?
Nothing changes for this election. A 2024 law had set a July 1, 2026, deadline for Georgia to stop tabulating votes using QR codes, barcodes, or similar coding. SB 3EX pushes that deadline to January 1, 2028, so the printout your machine produces will continue to include a QR code through the 2026 General Election and the 2027 municipal election cycle, and any other special elections that might happen within that timeframe. Learn more about QR codes here.
What’s changing with post-election audits?
Georgia already required county officials to conduct a post-election audit called a risk-limiting audit (click here to learn more about RLAs). SB 3EX expands the RLA to several more races this November. Here are the contests that will be audited:
- The contest at the top of the ballot
- President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House (if on the ballot and not already the top contest)
- Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General (if not already the top contest)
- One additional statewide office chosen by majority vote of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Senate Minority Leader, and House Minority Leader
What’s changing with recounts?
Georgia has long given candidates the right to a recount when the margin between the top two finishers is 0.5% or closer, for any office. SB 3EX adds a new, separate requirement for a specific set of statewide offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Commissioner of Labor. If one of these contests appears first or second on the ballot in any election and the margin of victory is within 0.5%, the Secretary of State must order a full hand recount of every ballot cast in that race statewide, rather than the machine recount counties have typically used. The state reimburses counties that complete the recount within 17 days of the order and the hand-counted results will become the new official results of the election.