As the United States grapples with issues around voting systems, the focus has steadily turned to Georgia's electoral battleground. Georgia's voting mechanism, employed by nearly all in-person voters, has sparked national attention, fueling heated debates over its constitutional worth. At the center of these are the Dominion Voting Systems touchscreen machines - the backbone of current voting procedures - and their susceptibility to security breaches. With a trial set to start this Tuesday, election integrity activists are rallying for an overhaul, citing flaws of such magnitude as to render the technology unconstitutional. They propose a more secure model: hand-marked paper ballots tallied by scanners.
Are Georgia's Voting Machines a Liability?
The trials culminate in a dispute dating back to a 2017 lawsuit targeting an outdated, paperless voting system used then. The lawsuit eventually led to a prohibition of the old machines in 2019 and the state's agreement to purchase new voting machines - the Dominion machines that underpin today's trials. Proponents reason that these machines are tailored to simplify voting procedures. They print readable summaries of voters' choices and a QR code that scanners read, hence counting the votes.
However, activists argue the machine's structure invites trouble; undetectable vulnerabilities can be exploited. Furthermore, the inability to read the QR code gives voters no assurance of correctly recorded votes. Even the upright arrangement of the voting machines' screens has come under scrutiny, with concerns raised on possible violations of the right to ballot secrecy.
Dominion voting machines notably hit the limelight following the 2020 election, with fantastical theories hinting at the machines swaying the electoral result. Allies of former President Donald Trump propagated such rumors, adamant that the machines played a part in unfairly deciding the election outcome. Even as the controversies pick up steam, State officials stand their ground, insisting on the system's reliability and resilience. Lawyers for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger dispute claimants' allegations, labeling their assertions "legally and factually meritless."
Can the Voting System Assure Fair Election Outcomes?
While experts engaged by activists confirmed that no evidence suggests system vulnerabilities altering the electoral outcome, they sharply emphasized the need to address the issues without delay to safeguard future elections. University of Michigan computer scientist J. Alex Halderman notably outlined exploitable system weaknesses, which he posits attackers can employ. Following those findings, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an advisory in June 2022, urging jurisdictions to use similar machines to mitigate these vulnerabilities swiftly.
The state's response to these warnings has been perceived as inadequate by activists. The Secretary of State's office chiefly cited the cumbersome nature of a software update from Dominion as a roadblock to installation before the 2024 elections. On the contrary, activists hold that the voting system's data and software upload to a server followed by sharing with an unknown number of people after unauthorized individuals accessed election equipment in January 2021 facilitates a planned attack on the system.
Is there a Need for Legal Help?
At the crux of the issue, the trials hinge on whether a valid constitutional violation exists in the voting system or its implementation. As David Cross, representative counsel for some voters, confided, the judge has only glimpsed their evidence. They remain hopeful yet aware of the uphill struggle to see any palpable change before the 2024 elections. The fact that the state would most likely appeal against a ruling in activists' favor, acknowledging the need for timing, doesn't dampen their optimism.
These trials are of massive public interest, underscoring the vital importance of experienced legal counsel. The right lawyer can offer the expertise necessary to navigate these trial complexities, imposing profound implications for the parties involved and the state's populace. Legal counsel provides essential insights, significantly influencing the court's perception and strengthening either party's stance.
Engage an experienced lawyer today.
