The effort to retire Georgia’s aging, electronic voting machines got a boost Wednesday from Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, leader of the state Senate, who said the legislature must act “in haste” to setup a new paper ballot system. “I think it is important that we have a paper ballot trail that ensures that accuracy is there, and that there are no games that potentially could be played,” Cagle, a Republican candidate for governor, said in an interview with WABE. Georgia is one of just a few states that exclusively use voting machines without a paper trail. Cybersecurity experts agree it exposes the system to potential doubt, hacks and glitches. “I’m super excited to have Lt. Gov. Cagle on board,” said Republican Rep. Scot Turner, the lead sponsor of a bi-partisan bill in the House that would require the state move to a paper ballot system, which could be audited.
State Sen. Bruce Thompson, chair of that chamber’s Science and Technology Committee, will sponsor a bill similar to Turner’s.
Thompson’s state Senate district includes part of Turner’s state House district. The two met Wednesday to discuss the details of Thompson’s legislation. “It will not be identical to the one that’s in the House, but very, very similar,” Thompson said.
Cagle’s support of Thompson’s legislation means it’s likely to pass the Senate.
Full Article: Paper Ballot Push Gets Boost With Support Of Georgia Lt. Governor | 90.1 FM WABE.