Politics
Politics

Georgia to demo options for new voting system

The Secure, Accessible & Fair Elections (SAFE) Commission held it's first public meeting June 13 in Marietta to discuss how to replace Georgia's electronic voting machines. The group, brought together by Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and co-chaired by State Representative Barry A. Fleming (R-Harlem), will study options for the state's next voting system. Georgia's current digital voting machines lack a verifiable paper trail to conduct recounts or check the accuracy of election results. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

The Secure, Accessible & Fair Elections (SAFE) Commission held it's first public meeting June 13 in Marietta to discuss how to replace Georgia's electronic voting machines. The group, brought together by Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and co-chaired by State Representative Barry A. Fleming (R-Harlem), will study options for the state's next voting system. Georgia's current digital voting machines lack a verifiable paper trail to conduct recounts or check the accuracy of election results. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com
By Mark Niesse
Aug 22, 2018

Election companies will showcase options for Georgia’s next voting system to the public next week.

The voting systems will be on display Aug. 30 at the second meeting of a group evaluating a replacement for the state's 16-year-old electronic voting machines.

Georgia's elected officials are considering switching to hand-marked paper ballots or ballot-marking devices as a way to ensure accuracy. Election companies that responded to the state's request for information on their products were invited to participate in the meeting.

The Secure, Accessible & Fair Elections (SAFE) Commission, created by Secretary of State Brian Kemp, is reviewing voting systems this fall and will then make a recommendation to the Georgia General Assembly before the 2019 legislative session.

The SAFE Commission meeting will also feature panel discussions on voting rights, election security, voting accessibility and intergovernmental coordination, according to an agenda posted Tuesday.

The meeting will be held at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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