Friday November 29th, 2024 12:53PM

Gov. Kemp signs new touchscreen voting machines bill

By Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has quietly signed a wide-ranging elections bill authorizing the purchase of new touchscreen voting machines that print a paper ballot.

The bill was signed behind closed doors on Tuesday, the final hectic day of Georgia's 2019 legislative session.

It's a major step toward replacing the state's current outdate voting machines, which offer no auditable paper trail. But some say it's a major step in the wrong direction.

Critics, including several leading cyber security experts, say the new electronic ballot markers are hackable and less secure than hand-marked paper ballots.

The proposal comes months after Kemp, then the state's chief election officer, defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in the governor's race, and amid several lawsuits challenging the state's election handling.

Kemp spokesman Cody Hall declined to comment. 

  • Associated Categories: Homepage, Local/State News, Politics
  • Associated Tags: voting equipment, 2019 legislative session , Gov. Brian Kemp , electronic voting machines
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