Georgia Election Board Requests DOJ Probe Into Voting Systems

The Georgia State Elections Board has requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the state's voting system, citing software vulnerabilities and concerns over QR code tabulation. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Executive Director James Mills urged the federal government to prohibit QR codes and mandate software updates. The request comes less than two weeks before early voting begins on October 13, prompting Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to criticize the timing as an attempt to "inject chaos in the 11th hour."

Earlier, the board declined to vote on a proposal from the Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party to fix a flaw that could allow users to match voters to their ballots. The GOP plan would have required poll workers to shuffle ballots at polling sites, but board members Janelle King and Carolyn Roddy opposed the measure, citing risks of lost ballots and increased burdens on staff.

Simultaneously, state lawmakers are planning a broader overhaul of the voting system for 2028 under Senate Bill 3EX. Lawmakers recently tested equipment from vendors including Hart InterCivic, Runbeck, and Election Systems & Software to transition from touchscreen machines to hand-marked paper ballots. While the Eternal Vigilance Institute estimates new printers could cost taxpayers $85 million, Senator Max Burns argued that the value of a secure system cannot be priced. Paulding County Elections Supervisor Deidre Holden raised concerns regarding the logistical capacity of Georgia's 159 counties to manage the transition.