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.

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State Election Board Vice Chair Janice Johnston speaks during an election board meeting at the Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

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Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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