2026 Special Legislative Session
Georgia's Special Session is Over
Georgia’s special session has concluded, and after five brief legislative days, our election system remains intact due to an incredible showing of community pressure and mass mobilization. Voting rights supporters from all over the country convened under the Gold Dome, and lawmakers had no choice but to respond.
Redistricting
Many feared Georgia would join other Southern states in rushing to redraw maps that erased Black districts. Instead, just hours before the session began, legislative leaders sent a letter to the governor announcing they would not take up redistricting during the special session.
QR Code Deadline
During special session, lawmakers passed SB 3EX, which extends the deadline for implementing Senate Bill 189's ban on QR code use until January 1, 2028. We support this extension because it gives the state time to responsibly develop, fund, test, and implement a replacement voting system rather than rushing a major statewide transition without clear guidance.
The final version of SB 3EX also limits mandatory hand recounts to certain statewide races where the margin is within half a percent. While we remain concerned about expanding mandatory hand recounts, which are slower, more expensive, and more susceptible to human error than existing verification methods, the overall weakening of the bill is another testament to the power of community advocacy.
Georgia’s governor has called for a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to convene starting on June 17.
Unlike traditional sessions, where members can introduce legislation on any topic and meet for a set number of days, special sessions are typically much shorter, members pass significantly fewer bills and are limited to the subject matter in governor’s proclamation.
How long is a special session?
Regular sessions of the Georgia legislature are limited to 40 non-consecutive days in total every year; special sessions can only meet for a maximum period of 40 days. Special sessions typically meet for a much shorter time.
The special session in 2023 lasted nine legislative days; in 2019, five legislative days.
How is a special session different?
Lawmakers can only consider issues outlined in the governor’s proclamation. His proclamation limits their work to:
- Redrawing congressional and legislative boundaries for the 2028 election, a move that comes after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act
- Addressing a state law that bans Georgia from using QR codes for official or final ballot counts after July 1
- Legislative work around homestead tax exemptions and extending the state gas suspension
What outcomes are expected from this special session?
Looking at the recent special sessions, we should expect lawmakers to consider and possibly pass new voting maps.
Lawmakers will act on the QR code deadline. For voters, abrupt changes could cause long lines and confusion at the polls, making voting harder and undermining trust in the process. The best outcome is to extend the deadline until 2028.
Elections in Georgia are moving forward securely, with the May primaries resulting in several runoff races. However, big changes could be ahead for the state’s voting system. The ACLU of Georgia, supporters, and advocacy partners will continue defending Georgians’ votes as lawmakers return to the Capitol on June 17 for a special session.
We’re focused on two issues outlined in the governor’s proclamation that could shape future elections in Georgia: the state’s looming QR code deadline and the redrawing of voting maps after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. While these issues are different, both raise serious concerns about whether voters will continue to have fair, accessible, and trustworthy elections.