Georgia Senate Passes Bill Requiring Hand-Marked Paper Ballots

The Georgia Senate passed a bill on March 29, 2026, requiring the state to transition to hand-marked paper ballots for the upcoming fall elections. The measure passed with a 32-21 party-line vote and mandates that voters bubble in ovals instead of using electronic touchscreens. The legislation also requires hand recounts and proposes $100 fines for county governments that fail to cancel outdated voter registrations.

This action has created a legislative standoff with the Georgia House of Representatives, which proposed a competing bill to delay the transition until 2028 and implement ballot-on-demand printers. The push for paper ballots follows a prior law requiring the removal of computer QR codes from ballots by July 1, 2026.

Election officials and professional organizations have expressed strong opposition to the Senate's timeline. The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials described the immediate switch as "irresponsible and unrealistic," citing a lack of sufficient time for training and implementation. Within the Senate, critics of the bill warned that the change could introduce human error and security risks.