By: Malia Thomas Posted Malia Thomas Malia Thomas serves as the neighborhood reporter for Lowndes County. LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — A paper ballot bill in Georgia recently failed by two votes, but a state law banning QR-coded ballots takes effect on July 1, renewing a debate on how state elections should be run. Georgia Senate Bill 568 would have required hand-marked paper ballots statewide, but the proposal failed by just two votes, even as a separate state law banning QR-coded ballots takes effect July 1. When you head to the polls in Georgia, the process probably feels familiar: just a few clicks on a screen. But a debate at the State Capitol has neighbors asking whether Georgia should move away from its current voting system. Lawmakers in the Georgia State Senate recently voted down Georgia Senate Bill 568, a proposal that would have required voters across Georgia to switch from touchscreen voting machines to hand-marked paper ballots. The bill failed by just two votes. Right now, Georgia voters use touchscreen machines that print a paper ballot with a QR code, which is then scanned and counted. Critics say those codes make it harder for voters to fully verify their selections. Supp
