Politics
Politics

Georgia considers dropping its longtime elections data center

AJ Seger, center right, 2, stands at a voting machine while his mother Mindy Seger, far left, 38, casts her ballot at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Cobb, Fulton and North DeKalb residents cast ballots today for the highly contested 6th Congressional District race. (DAVID BARNES / DAVID.BARNES@AJC.COM)
AJ Seger, center right, 2, stands at a voting machine while his mother Mindy Seger, far left, 38, casts her ballot at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Cobb, Fulton and North DeKalb residents cast ballots today for the highly contested 6th Congressional District race. (DAVID BARNES / DAVID.BARNES@AJC.COM)
By Kristina Torres
June 15, 2017

The Kennesaw State University center that has helped run Georgia's elections for the past 15 years may lose its contract in a matter of weeks because of concerns over security lapses that left 6.5 million voter records exposed.

The secretary of state's office says it is "actively investigating alternative arrangements" to using Kennesaw State University's Center for Election Systems, news that coincided with the unmasking Wednesday by Politico Magazine of the security researchers behind a data scare involving the center that became public in March.

"All options are on the table," said Candice Broce, a spokeswoman for Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. The center's annual $800,000 contract with the state ends June 30.

For more on the state's concerns and what experts say should happen next, click here to read our premium story on myAJC.com.

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