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
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
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
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
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
The Georgia House passed a bill on Monday aimed at increasing election audits by requiring human verification of two statewide races during each election, representing the latest Republican-sponsored effort to modify election regulations ahead of the upcoming presidential race. Read Article
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A federal trial, six years in the making, has reached its midpoint as computer experts express concerns about cyber vulnerabilities in Georgia’s touchscreen voting machines. The case involves an election integrity nonprofit and Georgia voters against the Secretary of State’s office, claiming that the state’s computerized voting machines face an unacceptable risk of being hacked, infringing on voters’ constitutional rights. The plaintiffs argue for voters to mark paper ballots by hand, as opposed to using the current Dominion Voting Systems ballot marking devices. Read Article
During the trial over the security of Dominion voting machine systems in Georgia, details emerged about a hack coordinated by co-defendants of former President Donald Trump. The hack involved copying confidential election data from an elections office in Coffee County, arranged by individuals now indicted alongside Trump on election interference charges. The incident has become central to a legal battle over the security of Georgia’s voting machines, with plaintiffs arguing it exposes vulnerabilities in Dominion’s systems. The trial is expected to continue for another two weeks, while prosecutors aim for an August start date for Trump’s election interference trial.
Georgia voters and members of the Coalition for Good Governance, a nonprofit focused on election transparency, testified in a trial challenging Georgia’s use of Dominion ballot marking devices. The plaintiffs argue that the QR codes on the ballots, used by the Dominion system, make it difficult for voters to ensure their intended selections are accurately conveyed and counted. The voters expressed a lack of trust in the machine system and preferred hand-marked paper ballots. Read Article
In a trial that began Tuesday, voters are asking U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to order the state to stop using the Dominion Voting Systems touchscreen machines used by nearly every in-person voter statewide. Instead, they argue, most voters should fill out hand-marked paper ballots, with a touchscreen machine at each polling place for people with disabilities. That would ensure voter intent is accurately captured and that meaningful audits can be done, they argue. Read Article
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican, has proposed the elimination of encoding voter selections on paper ballots and increased oversight of the secretary of state’s office to address concerns about the state’s voting technology. Critics argue that Georgia’s current voting equipment, manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, is not trustworthy, and a federal trial is examining the security of the system. Read Article
Election integrity activists are seeking a federal judge’s intervention to halt Georgia’s use of Dominion Voting Systems ballot marking devices as a universal voting system, claiming they are vulnerable to attacks and pose operational risks that could compromise voters’ rights. The activists argue that the use of the machines violate the constitution, while election officials assert their security and reliability. The trial, set to begin, centers on a lawsuit filed in 2017 targeting the paperless AccuVote TSX DREs, which were replaced by the Dominion voting system in 2019. The activists advocate for a switch to hand-marked paper ballots with robust audits. The case predates baseless conspiracy theories about Dominion machines that emerged after the 2020 election. Read Article
Georgia legislators are considering various election-related proposals, driven by Republican concerns over the 2020 election, internal GOP power struggles, and a desire to enhance voter trust. Among the potential measures are allowing the State Election Board to investigate Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, ending no-excuse absentee voting, and verifying computer codes on ballots. Other considerations include eliminating runoffs, permitting public inspections of paper ballots, tightening ballot handling procedures, and allowing voters to fill out paper ballots by hand. While no priority has been set, many election bills are introduced yearly, and some become law, such as the 2021 voting law that restricted ballot drop boxes and imposed other restrictions. Read Article
The claim that 20,713 votes in Fulton County, Georgia, included in the 2020 election night tally do not exist is false. A complaint to the Georgia State Election Board mentioned an email from Fulton County stating that poll tapes from 10 machines “do not exist.” Poll tapes, though important, are just one part of the paper trail documenting the vote, recorded on memory cards and in official statements released by Georgia counties. Three separate counts of Georgia’s votes consistently found similar results in Fulton County, with Joe Biden winning both the county and the state each time. Mark Lindemann, Verified Voting’s policy and strategy director, noted that missing poll tapes are not suspicious, citing factors like a new voting system and the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Article
Georgia elections officials are facing an increased workload and stress due to an influx of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and open records requests from rightwing activists who believe in unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. Deb Cox, elections director of Lowndes County, has seen the number of FOIA requests rise significantly, straining resources and requiring additional staff hours. Across the U.S., similar trends are observed, with election-denying activists seeking extensive information to substantiate false claims about the 2020 election and to influence future elections. The increased workload adds pressure to elections officials, particularly in swing states like Georgia, as they prepare for the 2024 presidential election. Read Article
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is seeking $4.7 million from legislators to purchase devices allowing voters to verify that the QR codes printed on their ballots accurately reflect their choices. This technology would be available in every Georgia voting location, enabling skeptical voters to confirm that the codes match the printed text on ballots before they are scanned and counted. Critics argue that QR codes prevent human verification of ballots and could be manipulated by hackers. The proposed funding also includes $10.4 million to upgrade Dominion Voting Systems software after the 2024 election, $6 million to replace power supplies for voting equipment, $3 million for a voter education campaign, and $2.7 million for 24 new staff positions in the state’s Elections Division. Read Article
Columbia County’s decision to adopt EagleAI, touted as an alternative to the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) for voter registration list maintenance, is raising concerns about its efficacy and the risk of disenfranchising lawful voters. Critics argue that EagleAI lacks access to crucial private voter information, increasing the likelihood of removing eligible voters. Skepticism is particularly voiced by Kristin Nabers of the voting rights organization All Voting Is Local, who emphasizes the potential for the software to cause more problems than solutions. While the bipartisan election board approved the use of EagleAI, questions persist about its ability to accurately update voter rolls and its compliance with state and federal laws, possibly jeopardizing voter registrations. Read Article
Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Donald Trump, has informed Georgia prosecutors that in December 2020, Dan Scavino, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, stated that “the boss” had no intention of leaving the White House “under any circumstances.” Ellis, who pleaded guilty in exchange for her testimony, revealed details about the effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. The video recordings of Ellis, along with statements from other defendants who accepted plea deals in the Fulton County case, provide previously undisclosed information. The recordings indicate efforts to challenge election results in various states and reveal internal discussions within the Trump campaign. The charges in the Fulton indictment accuse Trump and 18 others of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. The case focuses on several alleged criminal activities, including meetings of Trump electors, pressure on Georgia officials, and harassment of election workers. The recordings suggest a playbook by prosecutors to build a case against multiple defendants through plea deals. Read Article
n Spalding County, Georgia, a conservative exurb south of Atlanta, an audit involving a hand recount of ballots is underway despite no signs of miscounts or voting machine errors in the recent elections for mayor and the City Commission. The county election board, dominated by Republicans, initiated the hand recount, driven by deep distrust of Georgia’s voting machines. Spalding is one of six Republican-run counties in the state conducting labor-intensive audits of results from ballot scanners, a trend seen in conservative communities across the country that resist voting technology, particularly since the 2020 presidential election. Voting rights activists express concerns that manual audits, driven by suspicion, could undermine faith in elections rather than bolster it, even as investigations and recounts repeatedly debunk fraud suspicions. Read Article
A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg, has ruled in a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s electronic voting system, determining that the question of major cybersecurity flaws violating voters’ constitutional rights will proceed to trial on January 9, 2024. The activists behind the suit advocate for replacing electronic voting machines with hand-marked paper ballots. Totenberg rejected the state’s request for a summary judgment, stating that there are “material facts in dispute” that must be addressed at trial. The judge urged the involved parties to collaborate on a resolution, emphasizing the importance of discussions, compromises, and legislative action to address challenges to the election system and democracy. Read Article
Georgia senators are demanding answers about election security, questioning why the state’s voting system won’t be upgraded until after the 2024 elections and criticizing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. They suggested quicker software updates, an elimination of QR codes on Georgia ballots, security markings on every ballot, and the introduction of paper ballots filled out by hand instead of by voting touchscreens. State election officials responded that Georgia’s election technology is secure from tampering as they test equipment ahead of next year’s elections and plan audits afterward. Read Article
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has been conducting a year-long investigation into alleged election interference in Coffee County, separate from Fulton County prosecutors who charged Donald Trump and others with racketeering related to the same incident. The GBI’s nearly 400-page report provides additional details on the scheme, which involved copying election software, distributing sensitive data, and attempting to undermine the legitimacy of Georgia’s 2020 election results. The report highlights meetings between Trump allies, including Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, at Wood’s Tomotley Plantation in South Carolina, which was described as a “central hub for voter fraud information processing.” Additionally, the report identifies unindicted co-conspirators and sheds light on the involvement of the Atlanta-based data firm SullivanStrickler. Attorney General Chris Carr is reviewing the report, and his office has stated they will “continue to coordinate” with the GBI. Read Article