Failure of Georgia elections bill could lead to quick switch to hand-marked ballots

  • Rep. Victor Anderson, R-Cornelia, speaks about Senate Bill 214 on the House floor during the final day of the 2026 Legislative Session, on Thursday, April 2, at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. This bill would have switched Georgia to hand-marked paper ballots by 2028. ASHTIN BARKER/Capitol Beat
    Rep. Victor Anderson, R-Cornelia, speaks about Senate Bill 214 on the House floor during the final day of the 2026 Legislative Session, on Thursday, April 2, at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. This bill would have switched Georgia to hand-marked paper ballots by 2028. ASHTIN BARKER/Capitol Beat

    Georgia lawmakers set up the possibility of a swift conversion to hand-marked paper ballots this year when they failed to pass a bill early Friday morning that would have gradually replaced the state’s touchscreen voting system.

    The Senate’s refusal to vote on the bipartisan elections bill leaves Georgia with computer-generated ballots that will soon be illegal, just months before the midterm elect…