Georgia Senate approves ban on counting ballots from QR codes | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia Senate, voting along party lines, has approved a bill to eliminate the use of bar codes on ballots, opting instead to count votes directly from printed text or filled-in ovals next to candidate names. Republicans argue that this change would enhance election security and minimize the risk of tampering, although there’s no evidence of breaches in Georgia’s voting machines during elections. However, implementing this change before the upcoming presidential election appears unlikely due to time constraints and the associated costs, estimated at $15 million or more. While Democrats criticize the proposal as costly and impractical, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger maintains that Georgia’s voting system is secure as is, and eliminating QR codes before the presidential election would be unfeasible. Read Article

Michigan clerks concerned about election software delays | Peter Kobs/CNHI News Service

County and township clerks in northwest Michigan express growing concerns over the delayed delivery of promised election software updates by the state Bureau of Elections, particularly critical for the upcoming nine-day early voting period starting February 17th. The QVF system, essential for early voting, lacks voter data despite the recent addition of an early voting module, leaving local officials untrained and uncertain about its functionality. Additionally, the necessary e-poll book software download to prevent double voting and verify voter eligibility remains unavailable, complicating preparations for early voting and prompting frustrations among clerks regarding the lack of timely communication and guidance from state authorities. Read Article

Nebraska bill would hire a hacker to probe the state’s computer, elections systems | Margery A. Beck/Associated Press

Nebraska State Senator Loren Lippincott introduced a bill to Nebraska’s government committee proposing to allocate $200,000 to hire an “ethical hacker” tasked with probing the state’s computer network, including election equipment and software, to identify vulnerabilities. Inspired by his nephew’s similar work, Lippincott aims to pioneer this approach in cybersecurity for the state, although Missouri has engaged a company with “white hat hackers” for comparable services. Against the backdrop of escalating security concerns nationwide, including potential cyberattacks by foreign entities, the bill seeks to preemptively address vulnerabilities and enhance election security. Lippincott’s proposal coincides with an $11 million cybersecurity bill intended to empower the state’s chief information officer, local governments, and school districts to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure and readiness, with both bills receiving support at the hearing and awaiting further committee deliberations. Read Article

New Hampshire authorities trace Biden AI robocall to Texas-based telecom | Derek B. Johnson/CyberScoop

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office has identified Life Corporation, a Texas-based telecommunications firm, and Walter Monk as responsible for AI-generated robocalls featuring the voice of President Joe Biden, urging Democratic voters to abstain from the state’s primary. The calls, created using deepfake technology, prompted concerns about election integrity and spurred an investigation involving state and federal authorities. Although Life Corporation and Monk have been implicated, further inquiries are ongoing. The FCC has issued cease-and-desist letters to both Life Corporation and Lingo Telecom, which facilitated the calls, with warnings of potential regulatory consequences. Read Article

North Dakota: Judge dismisses election official’s mail ballot lawsuit | Jack Dura/Associated Press

A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the acceptance of mail-in ballots after Election Day, filed by Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski and supported by a legal group associated with former President Donald Trump. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor ruled that Splonskowski lacks standing to bring the case and failed to demonstrate harm from the law or a violation of his constitutional rights. The judge expressed concern that an elected official openly advocated violating the law he was elected to enforce, and noted that the lawsuit’s success could impact overseas and military voters’ rights to vote. Read vArticle

Pennsylvania: How an ‘Ice Cream Truck’ for Voting Could Stop Mail Ballots from Being Tossed | Alex Burness/Bolts

Neil Makhija, a former advocate for South Asian voter turnout and now a county commissioner in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, has taken on the task of securing voting rights from within the system. He aims to revolutionize the ballot curing process, proposing a mobile unit that would reach voters directly to resolve mail ballot errors, inspired by an “ice cream truck for voting” concept. Pennsylvania’s lack of statewide guidelines on ballot curing leaves counties with disparate approaches, with some, like Montgomery, making efforts to inform voters but still seeing a significant number of rejected ballots. Makhija’s proposal, though ambitious, has garnered support from voting rights advocates, who see it as a game-changer, but its implementation faces challenges in resource allocation and logistics. Read Article

Wisconsin Elections Commission adopts partial witness address rules for absentee ballot envelopes | Mitchell Schmidt/Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin Elections Commission issues new guidance allowing local election officials to accept absentee ballot envelopes with partial witness address information, following a Dane County judge’s order. The decision aims to ensure that ballots with discernible witness addresses are counted, amid concerns about potential disenfranchisement due to address errors. The ruling comes after a contentious debate, with a Republican commissioner proposing additional requirements for voters, which was rejected. Meanwhile, legislative Republicans introduced a bill to tighten absentee ballot requirements, including fines and jail time for violations, in a move challenged by Democrats. Read Article

National: Voting Is Bewildering This Primary Season. That Worries Experts. | Maggie Astor/The New York Times

The 2024 election season is marked by confusing and fragmented primary schedules, creating challenges for voters and potentially impacting turnout. New Hampshire’s primary was boycotted by President Biden after the state altered the Democratic Party’s schedule, leading to disarray among voters. The upcoming primaries in South Carolina and Nevada further complicate the process, with different dates for Democratic and Republican voters, and conflicting options for candidates like Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. The complex and disjointed primary schedules may disrupt voting habits, reduce participation, and fuel distrust in elections, potentially affecting not only the presidential nominees but also long-term voting behavior. Read Article

Georgia election security trial becomes a magnet for unfounded 2020 fraud claims | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In a federal trial initially centered on the security of Dominion voting machines in Georgia, conservative interests have successfully co-opted the proceedings, steering the narrative towards unproven accusations of wrongdoing in the 2020 presidential election. Originally filed in 2017 by voters concerned about the safety of electronic voting equipment, the trial now features claims of “pristine” counterfeit ballots, ballot tampering, and baseless allegations of wireless access to voting machines. Figures like “My Pillow Guy” Mike Lindell have amplified these conspiracy theories, diverting attention from the primary plaintiffs’ argument that electronic voting machines are unsafe for future use. Critics argue that the trial’s focus on unfounded claims risks undermining the credibility of the case, distracting from the crucial issue of election security. Read Article

National: “Terrifying”: Expert outlines “endless” ways AI could “further fracture” elections and our democracy | Areeba Shah/Salon

Misinformation and disinformation, already significant threats to elections, are becoming more challenging with the rise of AI-generated content. The impact of AI on elections was demonstrated when a doctored audio message of President Joe Biden discouraged New Hampshire residents from voting. AI tools can create convincing narratives that spread false information rapidly, amplifying concerns about election integrity. Read Article

National: Republican lawsuits challenge mail ballot deadlines. Could they upend voting across the country? | Christine Fernando, Emily Wagster Pettus and Jack Duira/Associated Press

Republicans are challenging extended mail ballot deadlines in Mississippi through a lawsuit that could have broader implications for mail voting across the nation. The legal maneuver follows a similar lawsuit filed last year in North Dakota. The lawsuits argue that deadlines for receiving mailed ballots that extend past Election Day violate federal law. Mississippi and North Dakota are among several states that accept late-arriving mailed ballots as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. Read Article

National: The new U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is giving new life to old conspiracy theories | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

The nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), previously involved in the “Zuckerbucks” controversy during the 2020 election, is facing renewed criticism from right-wing activists for its new program, the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. The program, involving 15 counties sharing best practices in election administration, has been targeted by right-wing media outlets. Articles accuse participating counties, such as Boone County in Missouri, of joining a “liberal dark money-linked election organization” using taxpayer money. Despite the negative attention, participating counties, including Boone County and Coconino County, Arizona, remain committed to the program, emphasizing its value for professional development in election administration. Read Article

National: Cyber chiefs confident 2024 election will be ‘most secure’ in history Maggie Miller/Politico

Top officials responsible for safeguarding U.S. elections against cyber threats, including Jen Easterly, head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of both U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, have expressed confidence that the upcoming elections will be the most secure to date. They cited the extensive work done by state and local election officials, the federal government, vendors, and the private sector since 2016 to enhance the security, resilience, and integrity of the American election system. Nakasone added that the partnerships and understanding of technologies are stronger, and he has not seen any indications of a major cyberattack against voting being planned for this year. Read Article

National: Pro-Trump network OAN execs may have ‘engaged in criminal activities’ while promoting 2020 election lies, Smartmatic alleges | Marshall Cohen/CNN

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the president of the far-right network One America News (OAN) reportedly sent an email to former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell containing a spreadsheet with passwords allegedly belonging to employees of the voting technology company Smartmatic. Smartmatic, currently suing OAN for defamation, revealed the existence of the spreadsheet, leading to concerns that OAN executives may have engaged in criminal activities by potentially violating state and federal laws regarding data privacy. The court records do not disclose how OAN obtained the spreadsheet or whether the passwords were authentic. Read Article

National: ‘Every noise makes you jumpy’: Election workers confront threats and abuse with resilience training | Rachel Leingang/The Guardian

Former elections clerk Tina Barton, who faced death threats and harassment during her role in the 2020 elections, now serves as a senior elections expert at The Elections Group and shares her experiences to provide resilience training for elections officials facing ongoing harassment. The threats, often based on misinformation and targeting women and people of color, contribute to stress, worry, and chaos in election offices. Barton’s training aims to help officials manage the daily stresses of their jobs and address issues like hypervigilance, fear, and post-traumatic stress. The mental wellness tools provided in these sessions seek to assist individuals in coping with the systemic problem of ongoing threats and harassment faced by election officials, which has led to a wave of officials quitting their jobs, leaving less experienced personnel in charge. Read Article

Arizona Republicans sue over new election rules, including handling of election results disputes | Jen Fifield/Votebeat

Arizona Republicans filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate election rules set by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat. The contested rules, part of the Elections Procedures Manual approved in December, include requirements for prompt certification of election results by county supervisors and the potential exclusion of votes from counties that fail to meet certification deadlines. The Republicans argue that the secretary of state lacks the authority to create rules regarding the finalization of election results and claim that Fontes’ manual aims to disenfranchise voters and circumvent state election laws. The lawsuit comes amid the 2024 election cycle, raising questions about its potential impact on ongoing electoral processes. Read Article

This Arizona ballot maker had robust security in place before 2020 elections. For 2024, it’s adding more | Sasha Hupka/The Arizona Republic

Phoenix-based company Runbeck Election Services, which prints voting materials for counties across the U.S., is enhancing its security measures ahead of the 2024 election cycle. The company, which already had robust cybersecurity measures, access-controlled facilities, and GPS-tracked trucks, is adding armed officers, additional cameras, and a designated area for election observers with a live video feed. These measures aim to address concerns stemming from false allegations of fraud and threats against election workers during recent elections. The company’s president, Jeff Ellington, highlighted the importance of ensuring employees’ safety and maintaining secure election processes. The move comes as election-related controversies and misinformation continue to contribute to heightened tensions in the political landscape. Read Article

Colorado secretary of state urges Supreme Court to keep Trump off the ballot | Lawrence Hurley/NBC

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has urged the Supreme Court to affirm that the state can legally prevent former President Donald Trump from being on the Republican primary ballot due to his actions leading up to the January 6 Capitol attack. The case revolves around whether Trump “engaged in insurrection” under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which would disqualify him from serving as president. Griswold defended Colorado’s process for determining candidate eligibility and argued that the state should not be forced to include a candidate found to have violated his oath by engaging in insurrection. Read Article

Connecticut: Aging Equipment, Limited Funding a Challenge for Early Voting | Angela Carella/CT Examiner

Connecticut is introducing early in-person voting for the first time, creating challenges for managing voter traffic and security. Additionally, the state’s AccuVote ballot tabulators are no longer manufactured, making it difficult to find replacement parts when needed. The state approved $25 million for the purchase of new tabulators and other items, in October, a  request for proposals for new tabulators was issued and the process of evaluating vendor responses is underway. However, new tabulators will not be ready in time for the April 1 presidential preference primary, or for the Aug. 13 primaries and Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas has said it’s unlikely there will be new tabulators for the high-turnout Nov. 5 election. Read Article

Georgia voting machine trial closes with argument over election security | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 17-day trial questioning the security of Georgia’s Dominion voting machines concluded with closing arguments, leaving U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to decide whether the machines pose an unconstitutional threat to voting rights. The case, which could impact how in-person voters cast their ballots in the upcoming November 2024 election, focused on the potential vulnerability of the $107 million voting system purchased in 2019. Plaintiffs argued for a ban on touchscreens in favor of hand-marked paper ballots, citing concerns about cybersecurity threats and the reliability of the machines. Totenberg did not indicate when she would issue a ruling. Read Article

Georgia: ‘A recipe for violence’: Election officials on edge for ruling from federal judge | John Sakellariadis/Politico

Five years ago, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg won plaudits from U.S. election officials for forcing Georgia to ditch its electronic voting machines because they were too susceptible to hacks. Now Totenberg is weighing a similar order against the state’s new machines — only this time, a slew of election officials are begging her not to do so. Current and former officials from both parties at the local, state and federal level argue that Georgia’s current voting machines are far less prone to sabotage than their predecessors — which didn’t produce any sort of paper record. But most of all, more than a dozen officials stressed their dread that ordering changes just months ahead of the 2024 presidential vote could undermine trust in the election, overwhelming local election officials and emboldening election deniers all in one breath. Read Article

Nevada Secretary of State defends Dominion voting machines | Mark Robison/Reno Gazette Journal

The Nevada Secretary of State has sent an email to county clerks and registrars in the state defending the state’s Dominion ImageCast X (ICX) voting machines after University of Michigan computer science professor Alex Halderman testified in a federal trial recently in Georgia about the vulnerability of those machines. Nevada uses the ICX as a direct recording electronic DRE system while Georgia uses them as ballot marking devices (BMDs). Nevada also uses a different voting system version. Previously they had been using a Nevada-specific version (DVS 5.12) and last year they upgraded to DVS 5.17, the EAC certified version Dominion developed after a 2021 security analysis co-authored by Halderman. The concern about the encoding of voter selections into QR code that has been an important issue in the Georgia tria is moot in Nevada since no Printed Vote Records are produced by the ICX when used as a DRE. Further arguments about physical and cyber security measures that would require “unlimited access to the voting machines” for the attacks assumes no insider threat. Read Article

Pennsylvania automatic voter registration boosts sign-ups, but not a political party, data shows | Marc Levy/Associated Press

New data from Pennsylvania’s automatic voter registration at driver’s license centers reveals a 45% increase in sign-ups compared to a similar period two years ago. The partisan mix of registrations under the new system shows that 35% opted for Republican, 31% for Democratic, and 34% for independent or a third party. The data challenges accusations by Donald Trump that Democrats would exploit the system. Pennsylvania’s new automatic voter registration system is currently facing a lawsuit from Republican lawmakers. Read Article

Wisconsin: Challenge to absentee ballot rules is a step closer to state Supreme Court | Scott Bauer/Associated Press

Democrats are appealing the dismissal of their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of several voting rules in Wisconsin, including the ban on absentee ballot drop boxes, which was implemented in 2022 after criticism from former President Donald Trump. The appeal comes after a circuit judge ruled that the lawsuit did not meet the high burden required to declare the voting rules unconstitutional in every application. The lawsuit, filed by national Democratic firm the Elias Law Group, seeks to reinstate drop boxes and eliminate requirements such as a witness signing absentee ballots and correcting ballot problems by 8 p.m. on Election Day, arguing that absentee voting is a right protected by the Wisconsin Constitution. Read Article

Opinion: The 2024 Election Will Be Fair. People Still Won’t Believe It.  | Richard L. Hasen/Politico

Last election, I warned of an “election meltdown” and a country that was not prepared for a litany of ills — foreign interference, spikes in misinformation, attempts at election subversion and more. This time around, however, I have a different outlook: Those threats are still there but this time we are aware and we are better prepared. What we should be more worried about is that losers won’t accept the results as legitimate, a sentiment that exploded only after election day in 2020, when Trump’s refusal of an orderly transition of power led to a violent assault on the Capitol. In 2024, however, election denialism is at the forefront, before most voters have even cast their ballots. This supercharged distrust could lead to further violence and instability and help cement the kind of corrosive election denialism that does lasting damage to our democracy. Read Article

Georgia: Expert shows how to tamper with ballot marking device in security trial | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In a federal courtroom, University of Michigan computer scientist Alex Halderman demonstrated how Georgia’s ballot marking devices could be manipulated in seconds. Halderman changed hypothetical referendum results and rigged a theoretical election between President George Washington and Benedict Arnold by altering the machine’s code. He used a fake voter card, a pen, or a USB device to print unlimited ballots. The presentation was part of an election security trial assessing Georgia’s voting system’s vulnerability to manipulation. Election officials countered, emphasizing real-world security and claiming no evidence of past hacks. Plaintiffs argue for paper ballots amid concerns about potential vulnerabilities. The trial will be decided by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg. Read Article

New Hampshire robocall kicks off era of AI-enabled election disinformation  | Derek B. Johnson/CyberScoop

Kathy Sullivan, treasurer of a super PAC running a write-in campaign for President Joe Biden in the New Hampshire primary election, experienced what appears to be the first instance of AI-generated audio disinformation targeting American voters. A robocall impersonating Biden flooded New Hampshire voters, urging Democrats not to vote in the primary. The AI-generated call, sounding like Biden, claimed that voting in the primary only enables Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump and emphasized that voters’ choices matter in November, not in the primary. The call’s phone number appeared to belong to Sullivan, as the caller ID had spoofed her cell number. While the impact on voting behavior remains unclear, the incident highlights the potential use of AI in disinformation campaigns during the 2024 election, posing challenges for election officials to combat emerging threats effectively. Read Article

National: ‘Preposterous’: Federal judge decries efforts to downplay Jan. 6 violence, label perpetrators ‘hostages’ | Kyle Cheney/Politico

The longest-serving district judge on the federal bench in Washington, D.C., Royce Lamberth, warned about the ongoing danger posed by false rhetoric about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, singling out former President Donald Trump and allies like Rep. Elise Stefanik for spreading misinformation. Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, expressed concern over attempts to rewrite history, downplaying the seriousness of the attack and characterizing defendants as “hostages.” He emphasized the danger of such destructive rhetoric and issued his comments in connection with the resentencing of Jan. 6 defendant James Little, who had appealed his earlier sentence. Lamberth criticized Little’s lack of remorse and sentenced him to an additional 60 days in jail, highlighting the importance of acknowledging right from wrong regarding the events of Jan. 6. Read Article

National: The head of the government’s election security agency was swatted in December | Kevin Collier and Michael Kosnar/NBC

The director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jen Easterly, was the target of a swatting incident at the end of December, where false emergencies are reported to trigger an armed police response. The incident occurred amid a wave of swatting calls targeting judges and public officials. CISA has been under scrutiny from House Republicans for promoting information about voting processes. Easterly confirmed the incident, emphasizing the serious risk posed to individuals and law enforcement officers. Read Article

National: Elon Musk Is Spreading Election Misinformation, but X’s Fact Checkers Are Long Gone | Jim Rutenberg and Kate Conger/The New York Times

Elon Musk’s control over the X platform, formerly Twitter, has sparked concerns as he echoes false claims about the American voting system without fact-checking or corrective measures. Musk, who dismantled the platform’s fact-checking system, has been accused of spreading misinformation and undermining confidence in the electoral process. The Biden campaign criticized Musk for his irresponsible actions, highlighting the potential for his influence to reignite doubts about the election system, similar to the atmosphere leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Musk’s approach, seen as a departure from perceived censorship on the old Twitter platform, is applauded by pro-Trump Republicans. Read Article