{"id":2325792,"date":"2024-08-16T18:22:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T22:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/activists-ga-board-has-one-more-chance-to-safeguard-elections\/"},"modified":"2024-08-16T18:27:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T22:27:02","slug":"activists-ga-board-has-one-more-chance-to-safeguard-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/activists-ga-board-has-one-more-chance-to-safeguard-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Activists: GA Board Has One More Chance To Safeguard Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Factivists-ga-board-has-one-more-chance-to-safeguard-elections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2325792&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>On\u2062 August 19, the\u200b Georgia State \u200dElection Board, which is predominantly Republican, will \u2064reconsider \u200da proposal to transition to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-pac-helped-group-that-pushed-voter-fraud-conspiracy-theories\/\" title=\"Stacey Abrams\u2019 Voting Rights PAC Helped Group That Pushed Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories\">hand-marked paper ballots<\/a> for voting. This initiative is\u2064 championed by\u2063 a group of \u200bbipartisan activists who \u200bbelieve it could enhance election security and address the problems seen during the 2020 election. Notably, former President Donald\u2062 Trump \u2063has publicly endorsed moving \u200dto paper\u200b ballots during various events, indicating his support for \u200csuch measures.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, Georgia utilizes a touchscreen voting system that generates a\u200d paper summary but has been flagged for vulnerabilities by\u2064 experts. Despite warnings from Republican \u2063Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about these issues, they remain unaddressed until after the upcoming November elections. Activists argue that, under current state law, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-grassroots-groups-can-increase-voter-confidence-in-an-age-of-glitchy-machines\/\" title=\"Empowering Grassroots Efforts to Boost Voter Trust Amid Technology Glitches\">hand-marked ballots<\/a> should be available during emergencies\u2063 or when electronic \u200csystems fail.<\/p>\n<p>After a \u200bcomprehensive proposal was rejected \u200cin a previous board meeting\u200c due to\u2063 concerns about legislative overreach, a revised, temporary\u2063 proposal was submitted\u200b for consideration. This new rule aims to ensure the use of hand-marked ballots until the vulnerabilities \u200dare corrected,\u2064 with a sunset clause set for\u2062 July 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Advocates for \u200cthe proposal\u200d stress its \u200bimportance for securing the integrity of elections, especially with growing\u2062 cybersecurity concerns. However, \u2063board members have \u200dshown reluctance to \u200cact decisively, citing their limited roles. The\u200c fate of this proposal lies with the five\u2064 members of\u200b the \u2064State Election Board, who are urged to consider the potential risks associated with the current voting system.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>On Monday, Aug. 19, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB) &mdash; which has a majority of Republican members &mdash; will have a final opportunity to vote on a proposal to move the state to hand-marked ballots. It&rsquo;s a proposal that a group of bipartisan activists say could save the state&rsquo;s election from high risk and potentially avoid some of the issues that plagued the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>Moving to paper ballots is the type of proposal that former President Donald Trump has expressed support for on numerous occasions, including at a recent Atlanta rally in which he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3PiBxnQgNrs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> moving to &ldquo;paper ballots&rdquo; would be ideal. He reiterated his support for hand-marked ballots during an event on Thursday at his Bedminster golf club, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3123391\/top-five-takeaways-trump-press-conference-bedminster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">where he said<\/a>, &ldquo;We should have one<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-five-takeaways-from-trump-press-conference-at-bedminster-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Top five takeaways from Trump press conference at Bedminster- Washington Examiner\">-day voting paper ballots<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist inquired with the Trump campaign as to whether the former president supports this particular proposal in a state in which he narrowly lost a race that was fraught with irregularities and miscounts. We did not receive a response at the time of publication.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia voters currently cast their vote on a touchscreen, which then prints out a paper summary that includes a QR code. But the system is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/news-events\/ics-advisories\/icsa-22-154-01\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vulnerable<\/a> according to <a href=\"https:\/\/coaltionforgoodgovernance.sharefile.com\/share\/view\/s44dec3c27ada46c2ada04bb74b7e7924\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">experts<\/a> &mdash; and it&rsquo;s a problem that Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/06\/14\/politics\/dominion-voting-georgia-vulnerabilities-2024\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aware<\/a> of for at least three years.<\/p>\n<p>Since the vulnerabilities have yet to be fixed &mdash; and won&rsquo;t be until <em>after<\/em> the November election &mdash; a group of bipartisan activists have put forward proposals requiring the state return to hand-marked ballots. As Morgan County Democrat Party Chairwoman Jeanne Dufort <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/05\/local-democrats-urge-georgia-to-return-to-hand-marked-ballots-echoing-conservatives-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">previously explained<\/a> to The Federalist, &ldquo;the only component that changes is in the voting station. &hellip; The voter will be handed a paper ballot and a sharpie and they will mark their ballot before going over to a scanner and everything else will flow in the exact same way it has in elections since we adopted the system.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Dufort further told The Federalist that &ldquo;the legislature mandates using the touchscreens to mark ballots only when they can be used safely, and otherwise use hand marked ballots until the unsafe situation is resolved &mdash; we want the State Election Board to apply the facts to the law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A &ldquo;comprehensive&rdquo; version of the proposal, as described by Executive Director of the Coalition for Good Governance Marilyn Marks, was shot down by the board during their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rBiqOdOiD9s&amp;t=31683s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aug. 6 meeting<\/a>. Members of the board expressed concern that by adopting the proposal, they would be legislating rather than creating rules &ldquo;within the confines of the law,&rdquo; as board member Janelle King explained.<\/p>\n<p>Marks retorted, however, that the proposal does not ask the SEB to create new law. Instead, Marks points to <a href=\"https:\/\/rules.sos.ga.gov\/gac\/183-1-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">current state law<\/a>, which says in part that election superintendents shall have a &ldquo;sufficient number of blank paper ballots&rdquo; in the event of an &ldquo;emergency.&rdquo; The law also states that if an &ldquo;emergency situation makes utilizing the electronic ballot markers impossible or impracticable,&rdquo; then the poll officer shall issue paper ballots to voters instead.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All we&rsquo;re doing here is saying, &lsquo;Well, in addition to when the power goes out or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lL8BRtSP0gY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lines are long<\/a>, if the system has been compromised, or if you cannot otherwise meet the law, then that&rsquo;s one other condition that you go to [hand-marked ballots].&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>These proposals argue that the SEB should require the state&rsquo;s backup balloting system (hand-marked paper ballots) be used to conduct the November election to mitigate the known vulnerabilities in the current touchscreen system.<\/p>\n<p>Since the board rejected the original, &ldquo;comprehensive&rdquo; proposal Marks put forward, she has submitted a new, slimmed-down temporary version for consideration during Monday&rsquo;s meeting. This version, provided to The Federalist, would sunset in July 2026. Marks explained in an email to the SEB ahead of Monday&rsquo;s vote that the temporary rule &ldquo;is designed to operate under the long-standing statute for the immediate future when the voting system is impractical or improper to use for a specific reason related to specified conditions.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Marks further explained the temporary rule is, in part, &ldquo;in response to the specific vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA.&rdquo; The temporary rule requires the current touchscreen system be used once again when the vulnerabilities have been &ldquo;mitigated.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The last hope for a secure, transparent, verifiable November election rests in the hands of 5 individuals, the State Election Board members, who have the authority and the duty to order the only fail-safe way to vote in Georgia in 2024 &mdash; hand marked ballots, counted by scanners\/tabulators, with audited outcomes,&rdquo; Marks said in a statement to The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But, even as irrefutable cybersecurity evidence mounted that the system is at high risk of manipulation in 2024, SEB members continue to refuse to act to date, chanting in unison, &lsquo;Not my job.&rsquo; They instead seem to rely on the shallow evidence-free platitudes issued by Raffensperger&rsquo;s office that the election is secure,&rdquo; Marks continued. <\/p>\n<p>The president of America First Tea Party, Debbie Dooley, is proposing a similar rule that would require the state switch to hand-marked ballots, so the board has the opportunity to hear both proposals.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Secretary of State has had ample time to install the [security] patches to correct the vulnerability,&rdquo; Dooley said in a statement to The Federalist. &ldquo;They chose not to. Too many people feel that their vote doesn&rsquo;t count. The SEB has the power and duty to have Georgia conduct a fair, accurate and verifiable election with their vote on Monday.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They should vote with the interest of the Georgia voters in mind,&rdquo; Dooley continued. <\/p>\n<p>Dooley also noted that SEB member Dr. Janice Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TrueTheVote\/status\/1820830426035884242\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acknowledged<\/a> during the previous board hearing that hackers managed to infiltrate election equipment in four Georgia counties this year alone.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What happens if hackers launch an attack on Election Day?&rdquo; Dooley asked. &ldquo;If hand marked paper ballots are used, the voters will be able to vote because you can&rsquo;t hack sharpies and paper.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite Johnson&rsquo;s acknowledgment, however, she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lL8BRtSP0gY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expressed skepticism<\/a> during the meeting that the board has the power to move the state to hand-marked ballots.<\/p>\n<p>Should the board vote in favor of either proposal, it would then go to the rulemaking process.<\/p>\n<p>The fate of the country could potentially hinge on the outcome in Georgia &mdash; it&rsquo;s only fair that the outcome is determined by legitimate votes. Utilizing paper ballots is one way that can be done.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, August 19, the Georgia State Election Board (SEB), which is predominantly composed of Republican members, will have a final chance to vote on a proposal to transition the state to hand-marked ballots. This initiative is backed by a coalition of bipartisan activists who believe it could reduce election risks and help avoid some of the problems that arose during the 2020 election. Former President Donald Trump has frequently voiced his support for paper ballots, including at a recent rally in Atlanta where he stated that switching to &#8220;paper ballots&#8221; would be ideal. He reiterated this stance at an event on Thursday at his Bedminster golf club, advocating for &#8220;one-day voting with paper ballots.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist reached out to Trump&#8217;s campaign regarding whether he endorses this specific proposal in Georgia, where he narrowly lost amid allegations of irregularities and miscounts; however, no response was received by publication time.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, Georgia voters use touchscreens that print out a paper summary with a QR code. Experts have flagged vulnerabilities in this system\u2014issues that Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has acknowledged for over three years. With these vulnerabilities still unaddressed and not expected to be resolved before the November election, bipartisan activists are advocating for a return to hand-marked ballots.<\/p>\n<p>Morgan County Democrat Party Chairwoman Jeanne Dufort explained that under their proposal, voters would receive paper ballots and mark them using sharpies before scanning them\u2014maintaining existing procedures otherwise. She emphasized that legislation mandates touchscreen use only when deemed safe; otherwise, hand-marked ballots should be utilized until safety concerns are addressed.<\/p>\n<p>A more comprehensive version of this proposal was rejected by the board during their August 6 meeting due to concerns about overstepping legislative boundaries rather than creating rules within legal limits. However, Marilyn Marks from the Coalition for Good Governance argued that current state law allows for issuing paper ballots in emergencies or when electronic systems fail.<\/p>\n<p>Marks clarified they are simply suggesting additional conditions under which hand-marked ballots should be used if there are compromises or failures with electronic systems.<\/p>\n<p>In light of the board&#8217;s rejection of her initial comprehensive proposal, Marks has submitted a streamlined temporary version set to expire in July 2026 for consideration at Monday&#8217;s meeting. This new rule aims to operate under existing statutes when electronic voting becomes impractical due to specific conditions related to known vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency).<\/p>\n<p>Marks stated that ensuring secure elections now rests on five individuals\u2014the SEB members\u2014who hold both authority and responsibility regarding implementing hand-marked ballot voting methods counted by scanners\/tabulators with audited results.<\/p>\n<p>Despite mounting cybersecurity evidence indicating high risks associated with current systems leading into 2024 elections, SEB members have been reluctant to take action thus far. Debbie Dooley from America First Tea Party is proposing similar measures requiring hand-marked ballot usage so both proposals can be considered together.<\/p>\n<p>Dooley criticized Secretary Raffensperger\u2019s office for failing to address security patches needed against vulnerabilities while emphasizing public sentiment around vote legitimacy issues: \u201cThe SEB must ensure fair elections through their decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also highlighted Dr. Janice Johnson\u2019s acknowledgment during previous meetings about hacking incidents affecting election equipment across four counties earlier this year while questioning potential threats on Election Day if hackers were active again: \u201cUsing hand marked paper ensures voters can still cast votes since you can&#8217;t hack sharpies or paper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, despite recognizing these threats&#8217; reality during discussions previously held within meetings she expressed doubts about whether they possess authority over transitioning back towards using solely hand-marked options instead moving forward into future processes post-vote approval stage should it occur eventually as planned next week ahead! <\/p>\n<p>Ultimately determining outcomes tied closely together nationally may hinge upon decisions made here locally within Georgia itself\u2014it seems prudent then considering utilizing traditional methods like employing physical paperwork could serve as one viable solution toward achieving integrity throughout electoral processes overall!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2325793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/291772635_9462319fcf_k-e1723834760785.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[14436,32644,6571,4977,32570],"class_list":["post-2325792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-activism","tag-election-integrity","tag-elections","tag-georgia","tag-voting-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/291772635_9462319fcf_k-e1723834760785.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}