Georgia lawmakers sent a modified election bill to the governor after scaling back a controversial hand-counting requirement.
Senate Republicans had added a provision over the weekend mandating hand recounts of the two top-ticket races in every election before local officials could certify results. The modified version removes that requirement.
The bill extends the deadline for counties to phase out ballot QR codes, giving election officials more time to implement changes to voting equipment. The QR codes have been a point of contention since Georgia adopted new voting machines.
Election officials had warned that the original hand-counting mandate would be logistically difficult and potentially delay certification of results. The scaled-back version addresses some of those concerns.
The governor is expected to sign the bill, which emerged from a special legislative session called primarily to address other issues.