Georgia: Details of voting equipment breach emerge in voting system security trial | Megan Butler/Courthouse News Service

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 push for hand marked paper ballots in trial over Dominion voting machine security | Megan Butler/Courthouse News Service

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

Georgia: Trial gets underway for constitutional challenge to state’s voting system | Kate Brumback/Associated Press

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 Speaker Burns seeks to end ballot QR codes, add oversight | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia:  trial set to begin will decide if state’s voting system is constitutional | Kate Brumback/Associated Press

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: Heated election year might bring more changes to voting laws | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia: Missing 2020 poll tapes don’t prove 20,713 votes never existed. Other records are available | Melissa Goldin/Associated Press

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: Local elections officials inundated with records requests by rightwing activists | Jewel Wicker/The Guardian

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 Calls for Ballot Confirmation Tech | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia county to use private voter verification tech EagleAI to check voter registrations  Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

National: Ex-Trump allies detail efforts to overturn election in plea videos | Amy Gardner and Holly Bailey/The Washington Post

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

Georgia: Voting machine doubts drive hand count in Spalding County | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia: Constitutional challenge to voting machines set for trial early next year | Kate Brumback/Associated Press

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 grill election officials on voting security | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia Bureau of Investigation report provides new details in South Georgia county 2020 elections breach | Greg Bluestein and Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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

Georgia: Prosecutors are focused on Coffee County in Trump’s 2020 election case. Here’s why. | Sarah D. Wire/Los Angeles Times

In the final days before Congress was set to certify the 2020 presidential election results, allies of then-President Trump, including former national security advisor Michael Flynn, considered drafting an executive order to seize voting machines as a last-ditch effort to overturn the results. One of the drafts mentioned Coffee County, Georgia, where officials had refused to certify the election results, as a basis for the seizure. White House lawyers, alarmed by the idea, managed to dissuade Trump from signing the order. Later, Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani assured Trump that they would gain voluntary access to Georgia voting systems, making the order unnecessary. Ultimately, efforts to obtain evidence of fraud from the machines proved unsuccessful, and Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Read Article

The Georgia vote machine theft is a threat to the 2024 election | Clif Albright, Richard DeMillo and Susan Greenhalgh/Slate

The article highlights a concerning multistate plot involving the theft of voting system software, which began in Coffee County, Georgia, and allegedly involves Trump allies. The stolen software was reportedly distributed across state lines and international borders, potentially enabling hackers and malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities in future elections. The article emphasizes the lack of comprehensive investigation into the extent of this breach, particularly in Georgia, where officials downplay the security threats posed by the stolen software. The authors call for a federal investigation to address the serious threat posed to elections and national security. Read Article

Georgia: Judge denies bid to block voting law, including drop box limits | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A federal judge ruled that lawsuits have not yet provided enough evidence to prove that Georgia’s 2021 election law is racially discriminatory, leaving intact provisions limiting ballot drop boxes, voter ID, and water distribution to voters in line. This decision denies efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice and other plaintiffs to block the law while the case progresses toward a trial. The law, passed by the Republican-controlled Georgia General Assembly after the 2020 election, introduced various new regulations for absentee and early voting. The judge’s ruling maintains rules such as restricting drop boxes, requiring additional forms of ID for absentee voting, banning volunteers from providing food and water to voters, and shortening absentee ballot application deadlines. The case may proceed to trial in 2024, but no date has been set. Read Article

Georgia Election Board rejects use of hand marked paper ballots proposal | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal -Constitution

The State Election Board of Georgia unanimously rejected a proposed rule change that would have allowed voters to fill out ballots by hand instead of using touchscreens in polling places. The proposed change aimed to address concerns about privacy and ballot secrecy in situations where touchscreens might expose a voter’s choices. Advocates argued that the bright and large screens of touchscreens made it difficult to maintain secrecy. However, board members expressed reservations about having two voting methods in use simultaneously and mentioned the challenges poll workers might face in managing both methods. The board plans to study the issue further before their next meeting. Two other rule proposals were also rejected, one related to more extensive testing of voting machines and the other about setting cybersecurity guidance for using emergency paper ballots. Read Article

Georgia Secretary of State gives approval for testing new Dominion voting software | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has given approval for an upgrade of the state’s Dominion voting equipment ahead of several upcoming local elections, aiming to enhance cybersecurity and prevent potential malware and hacks. The new version of Dominion’s software will undergo a pilot phase in municipal elections across five counties. While a statewide rollout is not planned until after thorough testing following the 2024 presidential election, Raffensperger emphasized the existing security measures. Dominion’s voting system, criticized by some since the 2020 election, particularly by supporters of Donald Trump, will now undergo “health checks,” logic and accuracy testing, post-election audits, and collaborate with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure secure equipment storage. Read Article

Georgia election board considers rule change to protect secret ballots | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Election security advocates are urging changes to voting procedures in Georgia, as they claim it’s too easy to observe other voters’ choices on the state’s bright touchscreens, potentially violating the right to a secret ballot. The State Election Board is considering a rule that would allow voters to use hand-filled paper ballots in places where secrecy can’t be ensured, potentially replacing the use of touchscreens entirely. Advocates argue that with the high-stakes elections of 2024 approaching, safeguarding voter privacy is crucial, while the secretary of state’s office contends that training election workers to angle the screens properly addresses the concerns. The proposed rule change highlights a conflict between Georgia’s constitutional requirement for secret ballots and the state law calling for absolute secrecy in voting, versus the requirement for in-person voters to use specific Dominion Voting Systems touchscreens. This conflict has been the subject of previous unsuccessful challenges. Read Article

Georgia Republicans’ election security ideas come with a cost | Mark Niesse/Atlanta Journal Constitution

Georgia election officials have informed Republican state legislators that proposed security enhancements, including eliminating ballot bar codes, adding verification technology, and upgrading voting machines, could be possible at an estimated cost of $32.5 million, but likely not before the 2024 election. This comes in response to demands for security improvements following a report by a computer science professor highlighting vulnerabilities in the voting system. The state Senate Ethics Committee plans to hold hearings on election security, while some senators are seeking answers regarding the decision not to upgrade Dominion Voting Systems software. Read Article

Georgia: ‘Crooked Coffee’: The alleged election office breach in the Trump indictment was part of a years-long pattern, some locals say | Elle Reeve and Samantha Guff/CNN

The alleged breach of the Coffee County elections office in Georgia, which is featured in the indictment of former President Donald Trump and associates, is seen by many locals as part of a long history of voter suppression and intimidation in the area. The allegations involve former county Republican Party chair Cathy Latham and former elections supervisor Misty Hampton facilitating a tech team’s access to sensitive voter data and election software. Many residents in Coffee County, which has a majority Black city surrounded by a predominantly White county, believe that the breach reflects a broader pattern of failing to secure the rights and votes of residents and hope that it will lead to a reckoning for those involved. Read Article

Did data from Georgia voting machine breach play role in alleged Michigan election plot? | Clara Hendrickson/Detroit Free Press

A drive containing data from voting equipment in Georgia was shipped to an investigator in Michigan who seized five ballot tabulators for a pro-Trump lawyer as part of an alleged scheme to illegally obtain Michigan voting machines, according to court testimony and documents. This revelation raises questions about how data from a voting system breach in Georgia may have been used in experiments on Michigan voting machines. Stefanie Lambert, a lawyer aligned with former President Donald Trump, is at the center of this alleged scheme. Separate criminal cases in the two states may reveal new connections between efforts to scrutinize voting machines used in the 2020 election. Read Article

Georgia: Judge rules for Fulton election workers in Giuliani defamation lawsuit | David Wickert/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A federal judge has ruled that Rudy Giuliani is liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two former Fulton County election workers, affirming the claim that Giuliani defamed election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss when he accused them of committing fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The case will now proceed to trial to determine whether Giuliani should pay damages for spreading false claims. Giuliani has been accused of making willful false statements about the two women, and his refusal to turn over documents in the case resulted in a default judgment against him. This ruling comes as Giuliani, former President Donald Trump, and others face criminal charges related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Read Article

Georgia Trump indictment invokes justice for election workers | Ella Lee and Rebecca Deitsch/The Hill

The indictment in Georgia covering former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election includes references to poll worker Ruby Freeman, who was accused by Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani of mishandling ballots and subsequently faced threats. The indictment highlights the harassment campaign against Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, and underscores the impact on individuals beyond just the voters in the state whose will Trump sought to deny. The indictment takes seriously the harassment of election workers and considers the human cost of Trump and his allies’ alleged actions, creating a racial component to the case due to the involvement of white, powerful men intimidating Black women. Read Article

Georgia: Spaulding County approves counting ballots by hand; change pushed by election skeptics | Mark Niesse/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Conservative election critics in Georgia are advocating for hand-counting ballots as a response to doubts about Dominion voting machines. The hand-counting movement recently gained approval in Spalding County, with local election boards voting to require manual tallies before results from computer-scanned ballots can be certified. However, election experts and officials point out that manual counts are often less accurate and more time-consuming than machine tabulations, and that election procedures should focus on building voter confidence rather than catering to partisan skepticism. The hand-counting initiative is driven by concerns about hacking, manipulation of computer-printed ballots, and programming errors. Read Article

Georgia prosecutors have messages showing Trump’s team is behind voting system breach | Zachary Cohen and Sara Murray/CNN

Atlanta-area prosecutors investigating attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia have obtained text messages and emails connecting members of Donald Trump’s legal team to a voting system breach in Coffee County in early January 2021. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to seek charges against more than a dozen individuals, including those involved in the voting systems breach in Coffee County, as part of a larger criminal probe. The breach is believed to have been a top-down push by Trump’s team to access sensitive voting software, and the evidence gathered suggests a concerted effort by Trump allies to find evidence supporting baseless claims of widespread fraud. Read Article

Georgia Grand Jury Likely to Hear Trump Case Next Week | Danny Hakim and Richard Fausset/The New York Times

The district attorney in Atlanta is expected to take the findings from her two-and-a-half-year-long election interference investigation involving Donald J. Trump to a grand jury next week. This Georgia investigation is one of the most expansive legal challenges to the efforts made by Trump and his advisers to contest the 2020 election results. Nearly 20 people are known to have been warned about potential charges as a result of this investigation, which examines Trump’s actions and those of his aides and advisers in relation to his loss in the 2020 election. The investigation is expected to result in indictments from a grand jury in early August. Read Article

Georgia: Renewed call for paper ballots flares up at crowded State Election Board meeting | Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

Several election integrity groups are urging Georgia election officials to replace electronic voting machines with paper ballots before the 2024 presidential election. Critics argue that the current Dominion voting machines are susceptible to hacking, and they point to baseless conspiracy theories claiming widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. A petition filed by the Coalition for Good Governance calls for more stringent inspections of voting equipment and recommended cybersecurity measures to reduce the chance of breaches. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger defends the current system as secure and battle-tested, and he has a four-step plan in place to ensure the accuracy of the 2024 election results. The state election board is expected to reconsider its decision to delay security updates on the voting system until after the 2024 election cycle. Read Article