Georgia Secretary of State blasts proposed rule requiring hand count of ballots at polling places | Kate Brumback/Associated Press

Georgia’s secretary of state on Thursday came out against election rule changes pending before the State Election Board, specifically rejecting a proposal to count ballots by hand at polling places on election night. At a meeting in July, the board advanced a proposal that would require three separate poll workers to count ballots at voting precincts on election night to make sure they match the number of ballots recorded by voting machines. That proposal has been posted for public comment and the board is set to vote Monday whether to adopt it. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top elections official, called that effort “misguided,” saying it would delay the reporting of election results and introduce risks to chain of custody procedures. Read Article

Georgia website flaw allowed users to cancel others’ voter registrations | Colin Wood/StateScoop

A cybersecurity researcher over the weekend uncovered a flaw in a Georgia website that allowed anyone with rudimentary technical knowledge — and a bit of ill will — to cancel others’ voter registrations. ProPublica and Atlanta News First reported on Monday they’d been contacted over the weekend by cybersecurity researcher Jason Parker, who said he found the flaw and reported it to state officials. The flaw, which Georgia state officials said has been fixed, involved using a web browser to inspect the HTML of a new webpage for voter registration cancellation that’s administered by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In a video, Parker demonstrated how it was possible to cancel a voter’s registration using only a name, date of birth and county of residence. Read Article

Georgia Board Grants Local Officials New Power Over Certifying Elections | Nick Corasaniti/The New York Times

The Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board approved on Tuesday a measure that could empower local officials to refuse or delay certification of a county’s election results, creating the potential for another disputed and contentious post-election period in November. The new rule states that before certifying results, local officials may conduct “reasonable inquiry” that “the results are a true and accurate accounting of all votes cast in that election.” Though seemingly innocuous, the language implies that local election officials are awarded a level of discretion in the certification process, a suggestion that runs counter to decades of settled Georgia law delineating how results are officially certified. State law dictates that officials “shall” certify an election, making the process effectively ministerial; disputes over alleged fraud or major errors are typically left to recounts and courts. Read Article

Georgia: Presidential election audit based on ballot images on hold amid company’s protest | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The idea was to triple-check this year’s presidential election results by uploading images of every ballot cast in Georgia, scanning them with text-recognition software and creating an independent vote count. Lawmakers budgeted $5 million for the concept that would verify the results generated by the state’s Dominion Voting Systems equipment, an extra step beyond an existing hand-count audit of a statistical sample of ballots. But the recount-by-software plan is now stalled because of a protest by a company that wasn’t chosen to receive the state’s contract. It’s unclear whether the dispute will be resolved in time for November’s election. Read Article

Georgia election proposal would add new rule before certification | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Local election board members across Georgia would be entitled to review vast troves of documents before they certify this fall’s presidential election under a rule proposal that critics fear would allow partisans to reject the results. The Republican-controlled State Election Board voted 3-1 on Tuesday to advance the proposal, which was sought by Cobb County Republican Party Chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs. The initiative follows, even when there weren’t any problems and the outcome of the election wasn’t in doubt. Certification is a required step under state law before election results can be finalized by counties the Monday after election day. If the majority of an election board refused to certify the presidential race, the results could be delayed and disputed in court. Read Article

Georgia: Racist slurs and death threats: The dangerous life of an elections official | Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline

When Milton Kidd leaves work at the end of the day, he slips out the back door of the domed Douglas County Courthouse, avoiding the public entrance where people might berate him or demand his home address. He never takes the same route home two days in a row, and he makes random turns to avoid being followed. Kidd, a Black man, has a very dangerous job: He is the elections and voter registration director for Douglas County. “Milton Kidd is a nasty n***** living on tax money like the scum he is,” one voter wrote in an email Kidd shared with Stateline. “Living on tax money, like a piece of low IQ n***** shit.” Another resident from Kidd’s county of 149,000 west of Atlanta left him a voicemail. “I don’t know if you’re aware, Milton, but the American people have set a precedent for what they do to f***ing tyrants and oppressors who occupy government office,” the caller said. “Yep, back in the 1700s, they were called the British and the f***ing American people got so fed up with the f***ing British being dicks, kind of like you, and then they just f***ing killed all the f***ing British.” Read Article

Georgia becomes first state to require election law training for police | George Chidi/The Guardian

Georgia is the first state to mandate training in election law in order for police to become state certified, a reflection of lessons learned in the aftermath of the state’s 2020 race. The new requirement for police trainees to take a one-hour course on election laws is meant to keep officers from trying to guess at how to enforce the law on election day, said Chris Harvey, deputy executive director for the Georgia peace officer standards and training council. “Cops just really need to know what are some of the basic ground rules around elections and voting, because they’re very specific,” he said. “In my opinion, the worst thing that can happen is if you have a partisan person or partisan force trying to manipulate the police, and have the police not have any idea what they’re supposed to be doing.” Read Article

Georgia lawsuit asks if official’s duty to certify election results is ‘discretionary’ | Melissa Cruz/USA Today

A think tank created by former Trump administration officials is suing on behalf of a Republican elections official in Fulton County so she can refuse to certify election results. Lawyers from the pro-Trump “America First Policy Institute” filed the lawsuit on May 22 for Julie Adams, a member of the Fulton County elections board since February. The lawsuit asks a court to “clarify” that Adams’ duties to certify the election “are, in fact, discretionary” and not required by law. Adams’ lawsuit argues a portion of Georgia law leaves room for interpretation. The law says that after verifying the accuracy of election results, county officials “shall” certify those results. The day before filing the lawsuit against the county’s board and elections director, Adams refused to certify the May 21 primary election results, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. She abstained, saying she won’t certify any results until she gains access to detailed voting data. Her lawsuit also seeks access to these voting records, which include information on poll tapes, drop-box ballots, and “cast vote” records. Read Article

Georgia: Republican member of metro Atlanta elections board won’t certify primary results | Rosie Manins/The Atlanta Journal Constitution

A Republican member of the Fulton County elections board refuses to certify primary election results unless given access to detailed voting data, a move that Democrats worry could jeopardize certification of November’s general election results. Julie Adams, who joined the Fulton County Board of Registration & Elections in February, sued the board and the county’s elections director after the May 21 primary, claiming she’s prevented from performing her board duties. Adams wants access to “essential election materials and processes” and a ruling that her duties – including certification of election results – are discretionary, not mandatory. Read Article

Georgia prosecutors appeal dismissal of some charges against Trump in election interference case | Associated Press

A Georgia prosecutor on Thursday appealed a ruling dismissing some of the criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and other defendants in an election interference case. The notice of appeal filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis does not say why an appeals court should reverse the March dismissal. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee quashed six counts in the indictment, including three against Trump, saying the counts did not allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of the violations. The ruling was a setback Willis, though it left much of the sweeping indictment intact. Read Article

Georgia Elections Board Won’t Investigate Hall Booth Smith Lawyer in Voting Machine Breach Claims | Thomas Spigolon/Law.com

Georgia’s elections board won’t be investigating two groups’ allegation that a Hall Booth Smith lawyer’s private text message in 2020 suggests he may have withheld information about an alleged voting machine breach similar to a high-profile breach in a neighboring county. Additionally, the election supervisor for Ware County, Georgia, said the alleged breach in December 2020 never happened and that he was not familiar with the text message found during discovery in a long-standing lawsuit seeking to end the use of computer-based voting machines in Georgia. Leaders of the two voter advocacy groups, Free Speech for People and Coalition for Good Governance, asked Georgia’s State Election Board in an April letter to investigate the actions of Anthony Rowell, a Hall Booth partner who represents Ware County government, after a text message was found during discovery in the federal lawsuit Curling v. Raffensperger. Read Article

Georgia oversight panel ruminates on 2020 election hiccups as 2024 showdowns loom | Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

The Georgia Election Board voted Tuesday to reprimand Fulton County and appoint an independent monitor for the 2024 election for violating state law while conducting a recount of the 2020 presidential election. In a 2-1 vote on the panel that oversees how counties conduct elections, members agreed to admonish Fulton County and order a monitor for this year’s campaigns. That allows the county to avoid paying a fine or having the attorney general investigate the double-counting of 3,075 ballots and other allegations of irregularities during the 2020 presidential recount. Georgia election officials determined mistakes in 2020 by county election workers would not have changed the outcome. Read Article

Georgia: Cyberattack hits Coffee County at center of voting software breach | Derek B. Johnson and AJ Vicens/CyberScoop

Earlier this month, Coffee County in Georgia experienced a cyberattack on its computer infrastructure, leading state officials to cut off the county’s access to statewide election systems as a precautionary measure. While Coffee County’s IT infrastructure showed no evidence of data exfiltration, it did indicate cyber activity by an unknown malicious actor, prompting the county to declare a cyber incident and secure its systems. State election officials barred Coffee County from accessing various state systems, including the statewide voter registration system and election management suite, until the security threat is resolved. This incident follows a similar breach in Fulton County earlier this year, raising concerns about the integrity of election systems in counties linked to legal battles over the 2020 election results. Read Article

Georgia’s election laws could create ‘hovering threat’ for poll workers in 2024 | Karissa Waddick/USA Today

Milton Kidd, an election administrator in Georgia since 2012, has observed significant changes in his work environment since the 2020 presidential election. Increased threats from voters and new regulations have strained resources and altered operations in his office. Over half of U.S. states have passed laws since 2021 that could restrict voter access and impede election administration, with former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson proposing legislation targeting noncitizen voting. In Georgia, new rules, including those awaiting Governor Brian Kemp’s signature, could further burden election officials and even subject them to criminal penalties. These changes, including heightened scrutiny and reduced timelines for runoff elections, have raised concerns among election workers about recruitment challenges and potential errors amidst tighter deadlines and increased complexity in their roles. Read Article

Georgia election officials and police prepare for voting dangers | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Law enforcement and election officials are gearing up for potential threats to election security and workers in Georgia ahead of the upcoming elections. With concerns over escalating tensions and past incidents of threats, officials are conducting training sessions to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including dealing with disgruntled voters, aggressive poll watchers, and potential evacuation situations. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger emphasizes the importance of ensuring safe and secure elections, acknowledging the contentious and polarized climate. Read Article

Georgia election officials probe claims of Bibb County voting machine security breach | Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is investigating Benjamin Cotton, an election security analyst linked to an alleged breach of the Coffee County voting system, following his claim of examining voting equipment in Macon-Bibb County. Cotton’s statement, made in sworn testimony, raised concerns about the security of Dominion Voting System components used in statewide elections in Georgia since 2020. Advocacy groups have urged an independent investigation into Bibb County’s voting system, highlighting similarities with a breach in Coffee County allegedly involving allies of Donald Trump. Macon-Bibb County election officials deny any illegal access to their voting machines, stating that only authorized personnel have been allowed access. Cotton’s attorney clarified that he examined a backup election database obtained through a public records request. Read Article

Georgia judge rejects Trump bid to dismiss election interference charges on free speech grounds | Dareh Gregorian/NBC

A Georgia judge rejected a motion by former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants to dismiss charges in the state’s election interference case based on First Amendment arguments. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that their right to protest the 2020 election results did not shield them from the charges brought by District Attorney Fani Willis’s office. McAfee emphasized that the alleged conduct, including false statements and attempts to overturn election results, went beyond political speech and activity. Trump’s lawyer indicated they would continue to assess their legal options despite the ruling. Read Article

Georgia lawmakers approve new election rules that could impact 2024 presidential contest | Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Amy/Associated Press

Georgia lawmakers on Thursday approved new rules for challenging voters and qualifying for the state’s presidential ballot that could impact the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state. Senate Bill 189 passed the House by a vote of 101 to 73 and the Senate by a vote of 33-22, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto. Read Article

Georgia: The Trump effort to infiltrate voting systems was worse than we knew | Susan Greenhalgh/Slate

Evidence presented in a civil trial, Curling v. Raffensperger, unveiled a plot by Trump supporters to obtain Georgia’s voting system software unlawfully in Coffee County and other areas, implicating Sidney Powell and the Trump campaign. Despite this, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger failed to investigate. Attempts to access voting machines were also reported in other counties, but no investigations were initiated by Raffensperger’s office. Meanwhile, Fulton County DA Fani Willis, despite facing challenges, pursued a RICO case using evidence from Curling. The lack of action from Georgia’s state agencies contrasts sharply with the urgency needed to address the potential threats to election integrity. As no federal investigation is apparent, it’s argued that the Department of Justice must intervene to ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated and addressed, given its significance for future elections. Read Article

Georgia: Website warning of cyberattack in Fulton County removed after it confused some voters | Ali Swenson/Associated Press

Concerns arose on social media about potential disruptions to Georgia’s presidential primary when warnings of an “unexpected IT outage” appeared on the election website of Fulton County. However, officials clarified that the banner was related to a past cyberattack in January and didn’t signify any issues with the primary election. Despite initial alarm, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger assured reporters that primary voting proceeded smoothly. Read Article

Georgia: What we learned about voting security by touring a county election HQ | Ryan Zickgraf/Atlanta Civic Circle

To explain how the Georgia election was supposedly stolen for President Joe Biden in 2020, former President Donald Trump described the hypothetical sabotage of the voting system simplistically.  “With the turn of a dial or the change of a chip, you can press a button for Trump, and it goes to Biden,” Trump said in a December 2020 speech. A recent behind-the-scenes tour by the Atlanta Civic Circle sheds light on how the system operates, revealing that there are no dials as Trump suggested. Instead, votes are recorded on yellow memory cards, printed on paper ballots with a QR code, and then scanned for tabulation. The system is not connected to the internet until the results are transported to a secure server room. Despite ongoing concerns about security, the voting machines are sealed and monitored extensively, and rigorous testing ensures their functionality ahead of elections. This glimpse into the process highlights the meticulous preparation and security measures involved in conducting elections in Georgia. Read Article

Georgia election officials withheld evidence in voting machine breach, group alleges | Derek B. Johnson/CyberScoop

A Georgia-based nonprofit is seeking sanctions against Coffee County election officials for allegedly withholding crucial evidence related to a breach of voting software. The group claims that officials concealed emails, communications with “Stop the Steal” legal efforts, and security camera footage of forensic experts visiting the office where the software was copied. This breach, part of a broader effort by Trump campaign affiliates to challenge the 2020 election results, is considered serious by cybersecurity experts, raising concerns about future election security. The nonprofit, seeking sanctions and reimbursement of legal costs, argues that the officials’ actions hindered their investigation and impacted depositions. Read Article

Georgia House votes to conduct more audits of computer vote counts | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With an overwhelming majority, the Georgia House has passed a bill mandating human verification of two statewide races during each election cycle. Sponsored by state Rep. John LaHood, the bill seeks to enhance transparency, accuracy, and accountability in elections, moving away from relying solely on computer counts. After the contentious 2020 presidential election, which saw a manual audit confirming the computer count, the proposed legislation calls for audits of the top race on the ballot and another statewide race chosen by key state officials. Read Article

Georgia: Conservative group tells judge it has no evidence to back its claims of ballot stuffing | Russ Bynum/Associated Press

A conservative group, True the Vote, admitted to a Georgia judge that it lacks evidence to support its claims of illegal ballot stuffing during the 2020 general election and a subsequent runoff. Despite filing complaints alleging coordinated efforts to collect and deposit ballots in drop boxes across metro Atlanta, the group failed to provide any names or documentary evidence to state elections officials, frustrating their investigation. True the Vote’s assertions were featured in a debunked film and sparked controversy, leading to legal battles and accusations of false claims. Despite efforts by Georgia officials to compel the group to disclose information, True the Vote came up empty-handed, prompting skepticism about the validity of its allegations and its overall credibility. Read Article

Georgia: ‘Nightmarish’ or simple switch? After voting machine trial, a federal judge’s decision may lead to hand marking paper ballots | Timothy Pratt/Atlanta Civic Circle

A federal trial spanning nearly three weeks concerning the constitutionality of Georgia’s voting machines concluded, with the state’s defense focusing on costs and logistics rather than cybersecurity, the central concern of the plaintiffs. The trial, initiated six years ago, involves an election integrity nonprofit and Georgia voters against the Secretary of State’s Office, alleging that the state’s computerized voting machines pose a hacking risk, violating voters’ constitutional rights. The plaintiffs argued for enjoining the use of Dominion Voting Systems touchscreen machines, potentially shifting to hand marked ballots for the upcoming presidential election. The defense emphasized the impracticality and costs of such a transition, lacking cybersecurity experts in their witness lineup. The trial also highlighted the Coffee County incident, dubbed the largest elections systems breach in U.S. history, as a central issue, underscoring concerns over voting system vulnerabilities. Despite logistical concerns raised by the state, plaintiffs pointed out the state’s successful transition to current machines within 10 months, urging a similar adjustment. Read Article

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

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

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