Police are investigating the theft of 19 voter check-in tablets from a DeKalb County warehouse, but Georgia election officials say the crime didn’t put voters’ information at risk.
The new devices hadn’t been loaded with any voter data, and they don’t generate ballots or count votes, said Mike Hassinger, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office.
The tablets, called PollPads, went missing from a former Sam’s Club store in Stonecrest that the county uses as an equipment warehouse, Hassinger said. An exit door had fresh pry marks where thieves might have gained entry between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
“No other voting equipment appears to have been tampered with or rummaged through,” Hassinger said. “The pads were on top of tables in the large open area of the warehouse.”
DeKalb police confirmed Monday that they’re investigating the incident. No arrests have been made yet, nor has the property been recovered, Officer Elise Wells said.
The secretary of state’s office is rolling out new PollPads across the state that will streamline the check-in process, resulting in shorter waits in the 2024 presidential election year.
During early voting, PollPads will connect to a cellphone network to verify voter registration information, and voters will no longer be required to fill out paper forms. Election officials will be able to remotely monitor check-in times, slowdowns and when equipment isn’t online.
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