On Tuesday, the Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee approved legislation to implement new statewide election equipment guidance in 2028 — avoiding a rushed and costly rollout originally scheduled to take place ahead of this year's November midterm elections.

House Governmental Affairs Chairman Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia) and Senate Higher Education Chairman Max Burns (R-Sylvania) led the charge on this effort, which will give voters confidence in their votes and elections officials certainty in running elections. In addition, if legislation is not passed, Georgia’s voting laws will likely end up in court, putting Georgia’s well run and timely reported elections in jeopardy and resulting in chaos.

The changes directly respond to feedback provided by responsible constituencies and citizens across the state, including The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO). The bill, a committee substitute to S.B. 214, now heads to the House floor for further consideration.

Joseph Kirk, Bartow County Elections Supervisor and president of GAVREO, issued the following statement:

"Lawmakers and election officials know it's far too late to overhaul Georgia's election equipment ahead of this year's midterms. We appreciate state lawmakers for hearing our concerns and proposing a workable solution — one that establishes a reasonable timeline for implementation and essential state funding. This proposal lays the foundation for another decade of secure and accessible voting in our state, and we strongly urge lawmakers in the House and Senate to send it to Gov. Kemp's desk."

Senator Max Burns said the following at Tuesday's hearing: 

"This bill is necessary. Because if we do nothing, the electorate — especially our election officials and our election superintendents across the state — will not have clarity in how to conduct elections in November of 2026. While I'm disappointed that we could not implement this concept in a more timely manner, I support the delay of implementation to ensure that elections are done accurately, smoothly, and appropriately for our state."

Key provisions of 2024's S.B. 189 prohibit the use of QR codes for vote tabulation purposes. Tuesday's proposal shifts the implementation date for this ban from July 2026 to January 2028 and requires the state to fund applicable county election equipment purchases.

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The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO) is a professional organization dedicated to supporting election officials across Georgia. Formed in 2019 through the merger of the Voter Registrars Association of Georgia (VRAG) and the Georgia Election Officials Association (GEOA), GAVREO fosters collaboration, promotes uniformity, and enhances the knowledge and efficiency of its members. Through training, legislative advocacy, and the exchange of best practices, we ensure the integrity and effectiveness of voter registration and election processes in service to the citizens of Georgia.

Ahead of vote in the state senate, the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO) is urging lawmakers to oppose SB 568

Ahead of a likely vote in the state senate, the nonpartisan association of Georgia’s local election officials, the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO), is urging state lawmakers to oppose S.B. 568. The bill would introduce significant changes to how election officials administer secure, efficient elections, create delays in reporting election results, and risk weakening election security protocols.

Joseph Kirk, Bartow County Elections Supervisor and president of GAVREO, issued the following statement:

“Georgia election officials are committed to administering secure, efficient, and fair elections, but this bill gets in the way of doing our job. This proposal would create widespread confusion for Georgia voters and election officials. Simply put, transitioning to a new election system and implementing major changes to the voting process this close to the 2026 general election is unworkable. Georgia’s local election officials are eager to work with state lawmakers to create and pass workable solutions that increase election integrity and help us run secure and efficient elections, but this bill does the opposite.”

GAVREO has identified the following issues as most problematic in the bill:

• Introduces new voting systems right before the 2026 general election: The bill would require election officials to adopt new election systems just months before the 2026 general election without sufficient funding or time for training or testing.
• Changes to advance voting sites: Assigning voters to specific advance voting sites will create widespread confusion for voters and more burdens for local election officials.
• Risks to election security: The bill would require election officials to have stacks of pre-printed ballots sitting at voting sites and provides no resources to invest in technology to work around this. This goes against basic security protocols Georgia’s election officials adhere to.
• Delays in election results reporting: The bill will create delays in delivering timely election results by mandating new reporting requirements that divert election officials from their core responsibilities. Additionally, issuing and scanning hand-marked ballots requires additional time and equipment that local election officials do not have. As we have seen in previous elections, the more burdens election officials face that delay the reporting of election results, the more rapidly disinformation about the integrity of our elections can spread.

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The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO) is a professional organization dedicated to supporting election officials across Georgia. Formed in 2019 through the merger of the Voter Registrars Association of Georgia (VRAG) and the Georgia Election Officials Association (GEOA), GAVREO fosters collaboration, promotes uniformity, and enhances the knowledge and efficiency of its members. Through training, legislative advocacy, and the exchange of best practices, we ensure the integrity and effectiveness of voter registration and election processes in service to the citizens of Georgia

Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials Announces 2026 Legislative Priorities

Atlanta, GA — January 14, 2026 — The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials (GAVREO) today announced its 2026 legislative priorities, focused on strengthening election integrity, promoting transparency, and ensuring efficient, reliable election administration across the state.

As the representative body of local election officials administering elections in Georgia’s counties and municipalities, GAVREO offers recommendations grounded in practical experience to support voters, election workers, and policymakers alike.

Extend the Deadline for Removing QR Codes from Ballots

GAVREO supports extending the statutory deadline for removing QR codes from ballots from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027. Implementing a new election system is a complex, statewide process that requires careful planning, rigorous testing, and robust voter and poll worker education. Extending the deadline will enable election officials to implement the transition responsibly and ensure the system is fully operational well ahead of the 2028 presidential election cycle.

Provide Stability by Limiting New Election Rules Close to an Election

GAVREO recommends prohibiting new State Election Board rules from taking effect within 90 days of any primary, special election, general election, or resulting runoff. Election preparation begins months in advance, and last-minute rule changes increase the risk of confusion, administrative error, and inconsistent application. Establishing a 90-day buffer will promote clarity, consistency, and voter confidence.

Reduce Cost Burdens While Preserving Voter Access

To address rising costs and operational challenges, particularly in small and rural jurisdictions, GAVREO proposes greater flexibility in Advance Voting requirements for municipal and special elections. While maintaining 17–19 days of Advance Voting for statewide elections, jurisdictions would be allowed to offer between 6 and 19 days for lower-turnout elections. GAVREO also supports authorizing voting hubs for all elections, allowing voters to cast a ballot at any location within their jurisdiction on Election Day to enhance accessibility and efficiency.

Modernize Special Election Timelines

GAVREO recommends updating special election requirements to better reflect modern election administration. Specifically, the association supports extending the minimum time to call a special election from 29 days to 45 days before Election Day and eliminating the September special election date in odd-numbered years. These changes would reduce administrative strain, improve voter awareness, and prevent overlapping election schedules.

“GAVREO members are committed to running elections that are secure, transparent, and accessible,” said Travis Doss, Immediate Past President of GAVREO. “These legislative priorities reflect practical solutions that protect voter confidence while recognizing the operational realities faced by election offices across Georgia.”

For more information about GAVREO and its 2026 legislative priorities, please contact GAVREO’s President, Joseph Kirk, at kirkj@bartowcountyga.gov.

About GAVREO

The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Elections Officials was established in 2019 and was constituted from the merging of the Voter Registrars Association of Georgia (VRAG) and the Georgia Election Officials Association (GEOA). Members consists of Active Election Superintendents, Election Supervisors/Directors, the County Board of Registrars, Deputy Registrars, County Election Board Members, Combined County Voter Registration and Election Board Members, and other full-time or part-time voter registration and elections staff and currently has over 500 members statewide.