Georgia will test voting with paper ballots in a November election

Georgia for the first time in nearly a decade will pilot the use of paper ballots this November in a local municipal election, the first step toward what officials said could be a statewide switch to a new voting system.

Paper ballots could be making a comeback in Georgia, with the state planning to test a new voting system this November in a local municipal election.

The pilot program comes as the state under increasing pressure to update its current system, which it has maintained in the face of both technological advances and heightened concerned over systemic flaws that could be exploited if the system was ever breached.

The state last overhauled its system in 2002 when it committed to the now-familiar touch-screen electronic voting machines that millions of voters here still use today.

At the same time, it eliminated a paper trail of recorded votes — something election experts now warn against.

Find more exclusive details about the effort, where it will be used and how much it could cost only by clicking here to read our premium story only on myAJC.com.