ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Georgia lawmakers ended the legislative session without addressing a looming election deadline that could upend ballot counting statewide.

Starting July 1, QR codes used to count ballots will be banned. But the session ended with no replacement plan.

House plan stalls in Senate

In the final days of session, House leaders pushed a bipartisan plan to delay the QR code ban, but the Senate never took it up.

Georgia is now staring at a July 1 legal deadline with no new system, no funding direction and mounting pressure.

The issue started two years ago. Lawmakers banned QR codes after conservatives argued voters can’t personally verify what a barcode is saying. But Georgia is still using the same Dominion ballot-marking devices, and the state hasn’t paid for a statewide replacement.

House Speaker Jon Burns said the House tried to keep Georgia from changing election rules in the middle of a cycle, but the Senate didn’t move the bill.

“We’ll sit down with the governor, but certainly election reform is something we were committed to,” Burns said.

Counties in limbo

While lawmakers debate, counties are already planning for November.

Paulding County elections administrator Deirdre Holden said they can’t do this in a rush.

“We’re in limbo. We have no direction. We can’t prepare for elections overnight,” Holden said.

The ACLU says counties don’t have time for whiplash. They say equipment ordering, training and poll worker prep can take six months to a year.

“The General Assembly created this problem, and it’s their responsibility to find the solution,” said Rachel Glover of the ACLU of Georgia.

If Georgia hits July 1 still counting ballots the same way, outside groups could sue, saying the state is out of compliance with its own law. That lawsuit could put election rules on a judge’s timeline.

“It’s going to have to be addressed one way or the other. A special legislative session is the most likely way to get this resolved,” said Zachary Peskowitz of Emory University.

Democrat State Rep. Saira Draper warned that if a judge has to step in, it gets even messier.

“That’s a scary proposition. What happens next with our election system goes to a judge. It’s unpredictable,” Draper said.

All of this is colliding with campaign season. Early voting starts soon, and the May 19 primary is right around the corner.

All eyes are on Gov. Brian Kemp. His office says the bill-and-budget review starts today, including “the consequences of bills that did not pass.”

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