Republican state senators push changes to Georgia voting machines

Georgia Senate Republicans pushed lastminute amendments to the state's election procedures through a committee hearing Monday in an effort to meet their self-imposed deadline to use handmarked ballots this year.

Critics noted that the two-year delay since the Legislature passed the law to use paper ballots without QR codes has pushed implementation into a busy election year, making implementation challenging. But proponents said the change was needed to instill faith in the outcome when every elected state office is on the ballot, in addition to the Congressional midterms.

The main problem with an overhaul this close to the election is acquiring the necessary equipment, which would include ballot printers, said Tate Fall, former election chief for Cobb County.

Because of the overlap of local, state and federal elections, larger jurisdictions would have to preprint an 'astronomical' number of ballots tailored to each precinct, she said, so on-demand ballot printers must be acquired.

But there may only be one vendor capable of outfitting the state in time for the November elections, Fall said.

'Without ballot-ondemand printing,' she said, 'it would cause significant consequences and chaos for our election officials, our poll workers, and our voters.'

Senate Bill 568 was introduced late last week and amended over the weekend.

Senate Democrats accused their Republican counterparts of rushing the bill. Friday is the deadline to move legislation between chambers.

In addition to paper ballots, the measure would require that local election officials publish voter lists before the election and give the Secretary of State a list of who voted by midnight after polls close, which the secretary must then upload into a permanent database within an hour.

The legislation would also require that advance voters cast ballots within an assigned precinct rather than countywide. And it would authorize the State Election Board to fine county registrars up to $10,000 for each violation of a process allowing voters to challenge the qualifications of people applying to vote.

Brad Carver, a metro Atlanta district chairman of the state Republican Party and an advocate for changes to the election procedures, praised Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, for introducing the bill.

'If we have transparent elections that everyone can trust, that is exactly what the Georgia Republican Party supports,' Carver said.

Dolezal pushed back against concerns around the timing, saying Georgia's voting machines were insecure and had to be replaced. Robb Pitts, a Democrat who chairs the Fulton County Commission, said Dolezal's bill would make it more difficult for people to vote.

Democrats tried to amend the bill to delay implementation until next year, but they could not muster enough votes. The measure passed 8-4 and awaits a vote on the Senate floor.