"WORKING TO HEAR MORE GEORGIA VOICES" – LOEFFLER PENS OP-ED FOR LAUNCH OF GREATER GEORGIA
March 3, 2021
In case you missed it, former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler penned an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
showcasing the launch of Greater Georgia – an organization focused on registering and energizing more voters and strengthening election integrity across Georgia. The full text of Kelly's op-ed is included below:
My calling to public service was an acknowledgment of both the challenges we face and the blessings we’re afforded as a country, and to be a voice for those who felt like theirs wasn’t being heard. As I met with Georgians across our state, I saw firsthand the importance of amplifying these voices in Washington. Our state is unquestionably greater when everyone’s voice is heard. But for too many, the importance — and even the sanctity — of their vote is seriously in question.
In Georgia, new high-water marks for voter turnout have been set time and again, including in the 2020 general election and 2021 Senate runoffs — in which I was a candidate. But those dynamic environments also hid important, underlying facts. Chief among them is that roughly 500,000 voters who voted in November didn’t vote in the January runoffs. That is on top of an alarming 2.5 million registered voters in Georgia who did not vote in November. We can and must do more to expand voting, broaden our conversations with more communities, and build greater confidence in our electoral process.
That is why I’m investing my time, energy and resources to form Greater Georgia. There is an urgent need to help make every Georgian’s voice heard on issues that matter most to them. While voting is the key to making that happen, it’s much more than that. It’s why we are rolling up our sleeves to register and engage more voters, communicate continuously with diverse communities, and strengthen election transparency and uniformity. Elections at every level of government have consequences, and in a short time, we’ve already seen the impact of the most recent elections on jobs, schools, healthcare and public safety. We are taking the first step to do the work required to engage more Georgians who want to live their American Dream, or simply want to exercise their right to be heard.
First, we’ve got to identify, register and engage more voters who value freedom and opportunity. As the No. 1 state in the U.S. to do business, the No. 2 state for Black-owned businesses and the No. 5 state for active-duty military and veterans, Georgia is a growing, vibrant, and diverse state. But we know millions of voting-age residents are still not registered to vote — many of whom support the values of protecting individual liberties, better jobs, educational choice, affordable healthcare, lower taxes and smaller government, and public safety. By identifying and registering new voters, we can ensure more voices are heard on issues that affect our everyday lives.
Secondly, we’ve got to engage more voices. Broadening our reach across communities and building an enduring platform for greater engagement is crucial to our growth as a state. But expanding support also requires a continuous dialogue — and not just in an election year. As I’ve traveled the state, I’ve been struck by the power of the people around our state to make a positive impact on their local community. When we listen locally, communicate our shared values and our positive vision it creates that strong level of engagement. And it creates the dialogue about the policies that truly put the people of Georgia and their families, jobs and freedoms first.
Finally, fair and trusted elections are the bedrock of our democracy —and shouldn’t be a partisan issue. We are investing the time, energy and resources to build an infrastructure that can be sustained across candidates and election cycles. As a candidate myself, I saw firsthand that campaigns are like start-up companies, only they are shut-down operations after elections to the detriment of the dialogue with voters. If we’re truly committed to building a bigger tent, we’ve got to leave the tent up year-round, including outside an election year. But we also must address the lack of uniform implementation of rules surrounding our elections to ensure fairness. Georgia voters deserve transparency in the election process in order to have confidence that their vote counts.
Success means much more than winning elections. It means the policies that reflect Georgia values. Whether better education for our children, more safety in our communities, protecting our freedoms, or more jobs and affordable healthcare, we must keep people – not government – at the center of our efforts. Protecting our democracy starts with engaging new voters, continues by reaching more communities, and is achieved through the trust that every vote is secure. If we do the work to help every voice be heard, we can create more opportunities for all Georgians and make Georgia greater for generations to come.
To learn more, visit www.greatergeorgia.com, and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
to stay up to date with the latest information.
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Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
January 13, 2026 An Open Letter To the Georgia State Senate and House of Representatives: Georgia stands at a crossroads. Under state law, and thanks to the leadership of both chambers, QR codes must be removed from our ballots by July 1, 2026. The 2026 legislative session is the last realistic opportunity to address this issue clearly and decisively. This session must produce a clear, funded, and fully operational solution with enforceable milestones by the November 2026 general elections, or Georgia risks failing both ballot security and voter confidence on an issue that now enjoys growing bipartisan concern. QR Codes: Not Just a Technicality Voting systems that rely on ballot-marking devices (BMDs) and automatically generate machine-readable QR or barcodes raise a fundamental transparency concern. Under current statewide practice, tabulation relies on machine-readable codes that voters cannot independently verify, even though human-readable text is printed for review. Critics argue that this two-layer design undermines the principle of a fully voter-verifiable ballot. Security researchers and computer scientists have documented plausible attack vectors in such systems — through malicious software, elevated access modes on touchscreen machines, or discrepancies between what is printed and what is ultimately scanned — and their reports and legal testimony underscore the importance of systems voters can directly verify. For that reason, Georgia must transition to fully human-verifiable ballots, supported by strong audits and a robust paper trail, while preserving accessible voting options for voters who need assistance. An Unfunded Mandate Is Not a Plan In the 2025 Legislative Session, Senate Bill 189 established a mandate to eliminate QR-code ballots by July 1, 2026. However, no funding was identified to carry out that mandate, creating the uncertainty Georgia now faces. As a result, voters across Georgia head toward the 2026 midterms with the same QR-code ballots and voting technology that has contributed to public distrust and recurring controversy. The General Assembly has the opportunity and the responsibility to address this in totality during the 2026 session, even if that requires giving election officials additional time to prepare for a new system to be in place by the general elections. No Half-Measures or Unfunded Mandates At Greater Georgia, we will advocate this session for three non-negotiables: 1. A Realistic Timeline and Full Funding Removing QR codes statewide will require financing new ballot-printing, tabulation equipment, testing, training, and implementation. While cost estimates vary, any plan passed in 2026 that lacks full funding, a procurement pathway, and a firm installation timeline invites confusion, risk, and failure. 2. Human-Readable Ballots and Transparency Ballots must be marked or printed in a way voters can read and verify before casting—and counted based on what voters can verify. Systems that rely on barcodes for tabulation place undue trust in machine interpretation and do not resolve the underlying transparency concern. 3. Proper Time for Election Officials to Prepare and Implement Election officials must be given sufficient time and resources to implement a new system competently, though that necessity cannot become a pretext for indefinite delay. Well-run elections are the foundation of trusted election processes. Georgia Must Choose: Action or Inaction As citizens, watchdogs, and advocates for secure and transparent elections, we cannot accept vague promises or unfunded mandates. The law requires the removal of QR codes. Georgia’s voters deserve clarity, accountability, and certainty. If the deadline must move, it should do so only with full funding, a procurement plan, and enforceable milestones before the midterm elections in 2026. We are grateful for the General Assembly’s responsiveness and leadership on this issue and look forward to collaborating to find sensible solutions that will make Georgia’s elections stronger in 2026 and beyond. No shortcuts. No unfunded mandates. Get it done, and get it done right, in the 2026 legislative session.
Atlanta, GA — Greater Georgia concluded its Statewide Education Tour with a final stop hosted by the Metro Atlanta Chamber , convening business leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders for a forward-looking discussion on Georgia’s priorities heading into the 2026 legislative session. Jon Burns , Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, offered a preview of key issues expected to shape the upcoming session. The discussion focused on policies central to Georgia’s long-term success, including property tax reform, access to mental health services, improving literacy outcomes, and ensuring students are prepared to enter the workforce. The Statewide Education Tour brought substantive policy conversations directly to communities across Georgia, reinforcing Greater Georgia’s commitment to informed dialogue and broad civic engagement. More than 250 business owners, community leaders, and local officials participated in tour stops across seven Georgia counties. Looking ahead to 2026, Greater Georgia will focus on training local leaders and activists and equipping them with the tools needed to host engaging, policy-oriented conversations in their own communities to strengthen civic leadership and engagement across the state. ###
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ATLANTA, GA— Greater Georgia today released a statement in support of Georgia’s ongoing voter roll cleanup, calling the move a necessary and long overdue step to protect election integrity and restore confidence in the state’s electoral process. The Secretary of State’s office last week began the process of removing more than 500,000 outdated voter registrations, including those who have moved, passed away, or not voted in nearly a decade, as part of one of the largest list maintenance efforts in Georgia history. “This voter roll cleanup is not only common sense, it’s long overdue after fear-mongering lawsuits from leftist groups halted the process,” said Terry Fye of Greater Georgia. “Election officials, and especially the Secretary of State’s office, are legally required to keep our rolls accurate and failing to do so undermines trust in our elections and opens the door to potential fraud.” Georgia law requires regular voter roll maintenance to ensure only eligible voters remain on the rolls. The current process includes multiple attempts to contact inactive voters before any cancellation is finalized, offering ample time to update their information and maintain active status. Since its founding, Greater Georgia has worked to strengthen trust in elections by advocating for secure, transparent, and accountable voting practices. The organization has registered more than 65,000 new voters, expanded civic engagement in every corner of the state, and continues to push for meaningful reforms that protect the vote of every legal Georgian. ### Greater Georgia, founded by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is working to register, engage, educate, and mobilize voters in communities across the Peach State. Our year-round work is focused on growing our movement by registering voters who may not be captured by Georgia’s “Motor Voter” program, mobilizing diverse and underrepresented communities, promoting issue advocacy, and fighting to restore trust and integrity in our elections.