Computer scientists and voting rights advocates have asked Georgia to stop using voting touchscreens and examine November’s election results after reports that Donald Trump supporters copied election software in the state.
A letter signed by 13 people, including two Georgia Tech professors, called on the State Election Board to use hand-marked paper ballots instead of touchscreens that print out paper ballots in response to revelations that tech experts working for former Trump attorney Sidney Powell copied an election server, memory cards and other voting equipment on Jan. 7, 2021, in Coffee County, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“The release of the Dominion software into the wild has measurably increased the risk to the real and perceived security of the election to the point that emergency action is warranted,” the letter warns.
Surveillance video shows Cathy Latham, one of the fake electors who tried to cast Georgia’s votes for Trump, escorted the technicians into the elections office, after previously denying that she had taken part.
The letter warns that the copied software could be used to create malware that could make voting equipment print incorrect ballots, although there’s no evidence that has happened so far, and State Election Board chairman William Duffey said the FBI has been asked to assist with ongoing investigations by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and secretary of state’s office.
“The security of our election equipment is of paramount interest to the State Election Board, as is the integrity of the election process in Georgia,” Duffey said. “The investigation is active and ongoing. Information developed will be considered to evaluate the impact of the Coffee County conduct.”
A spokesman for secretary of state Brad Raffensperger insisted that Georgia’s voting systems were safe.
“The results of the upcoming election will accurately reflect the will of Georgia voters,” said spokesman Mike Hassinger. “The people in question are no longer part of the system. The equipment in question has been replaced. The voting system in Georgia is secure.”
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