Federal judge: Is it realistic to force Georgia to use paper ballots?

[Suzanimal]

Um, they're been hacked in the past. o_O


A federal judge is considering whether to switch Georgia from electronic to paper ballots before November’s election.
U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg wrote in an order Tuesday that she’ll evaluate the “practical realities” of changing the state to paper ballots less than three months before the election.

Totenberg’s order came in response to a lawsuit from voting integrity groups who say Georgia’s touchscreen voting machines could be hacked. The Coalition for Good Governance and other plaintiffs asked for a preliminary injunction Friday to stop the state from using direct-recording electronic voting units.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a defendant in the case, has said Georgia’s voting machines are safe:rolleyes: but should be phased out after this year’s election.

Kemp, a Republican, will face Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 general election for governor.

Totenberg asked the parties in the case to file briefs this month about how difficult it would be to implement paper ballots statewide this fall.

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https://politics.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/federal-judge-realistic-force-georgia-use-paper-ballots/3rR5Y13HCVngXzfn2h1CJL/

[Swordsmyth]

Defcon hackers find it’s very easy to break voting machines (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?524862-Defcon-hackers-find-it’s-very-easy-to-break-voting-machines)

[oyarde]

If I was judge I would require Sec of State of georgia to prove his position was necessary .

[Suzanimal]

If I was judge I would require Sec of State of georgia to prove his position was necessary .

You don't need a Judge for that, I'll tell ya we don't for free and I'm more trustworthy.

[Swordsmyth]

Six hundred and seventy ballots were cast in a Georgia precinct with 276 registered voters in the state’s primary election, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

A northeastern Georgia precinct located in Habersham County had 276 registered voters before the state’s primary elections at the end of May, but 670 votes were recorded—indicating that 276 percent of voters turned out in Georgia’s primary election, McClatchy reported (https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article216056560.html).
The recently publicized voting irregularities come as the state investigated other instances of voter fraud—including one where an Atlanta City Hall staffer claimed (https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/records-city-hall-staffer-claims-voter-fraud-2017-election/cPuLPgrSfBpjlyFdlCxRJK/) she had to “print and deliver 500 blank absentee ballots” to an advocacy group staffer and pick up additional ballots from the Atlanta mayor’s campaign office to drop them off at an office in Fulton County.
Part of the reason for the increase in voter fraud claims stems from concerns about the security of Georgia’s electronic voting systems, as Georgia is one of a handful (https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-05-17/election-hacking-puts-focus-on-paperless-voting-machines) of states, including New Jersey, South Carolina, Delaware, and Louisiana, that uses electronic voting machines that do not produce a paper trail for voters to verify their ballots.
Elections experts say the lack of a paper trail makes the ballots difficult to audit.
A voter in one sworn statement said she and her husband were assigned to different polling places and city council districts even though both were registered to vote at the same address, according to McClatchy.
In other instances, voters arrived at polling places indicated on the secretary of state’s website only to be told by election officials they had to vote elsewhere.
One Atlanta Democrat even said that a voting machine gave him a ballot displaying the 5th Congressional District when he was supposed to get a ballot for the 6th Congressional district.
Harri Hursti, an election cybersecurity expert, said the incorrect ballots could have been the result of a clerical error or manipulation of voter data by hackers.
A spokesperson for the office of Georgia’s Secretary of State defended the security of the state’s ballots in a statement in response to the recent allegations of voter fraud.
Spokeswoman Candice Broce wrote in an email:

Alongside federal, local, and private sector partners, we continue to fight every day to ensure secure and accurate elections in Georgia that are free from interference. To this day, due to the vigilance, dedication, and hard work of those partners, our elections system and voting equipment remain secure.
The latest revelations of voter fraud come soon after the release of Fraud: How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election (https://www.amazon.com/Fraud-Left-Plans-Steal-Election/dp/1621577953/?tag=breitbart035-20), a new book by Eric Eggers, the Government Accountability Institute’s (GAI) research director.
Eggers’ book points out that voter fraud is increasingly common and encouraged by left-wing mega-donors like George Soros who support organizations that commit voter fraud. The book also notes that enough voter fraud has been documented to swing a presidential election and is enough of a problem that it could impact the 2018 midterm elections.

https://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...ct-276-voters/ (https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/07/voter-fraud-670-ballots-cast-georgia-precinct-276-voters/)

[Swordsmyth]

A federal judge will not force Georgia to use paper ballots for the November election, citing the potential for last-minute confusion, but expressed concern that the state’s electronic machines could be vulnerable to hacking.

U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg said in a ruling late on Monday that while it is important for citizens to know their ballots are properly counted, voters also must rely on a smooth process, especially in a fast-approaching election race.
“Ultimately, any chaos or problems that arise in connection with a sudden rollout of a paper ballot system with accompanying scanning equipment may swamp the polls with work and voters – and result in voter frustration and disaffection from the voting process,” Totenberg said in a 46-page decision.


Georgia is one of five states that use touchscreen machines with no paper record.
Voting rights groups and individual voters sued Georgia officials in 2017, alleging that the electronic machines are highly vulnerable to hacking and cannot be audited or verified. The judge’s decision to reject their request to require paper ballots in November does not affect the underlying lawsuit, which will continue.
An attorney for the plaintiffs, David Cross, said that while they were disappointed the judge had not imposed paper ballots for November, her decision was nevertheless a victory because she agreed the current election system is “woefully inadequate and insecure.”

More at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-georgia-election/u-s-judge-will-not-force-georgia-to-use-paper-ballots-despite-concerns-idUSKCN1LY26L