Atlanta – As the November elections approach, security researchers have raised fresh alarms about a vulnerability in Georgia’s voting equipment that could compromise the constitutional guarantee of a secret ballot. The flaw, present in the touchscreen machines that print paper ballots for later scanning, allows the order of cast‑vote records to be reconstructed, potentially linking individual voters to their choices.
How the flaw works
Georgia’s voting machines create a paper ballot for each voter, which is then scanned to produce an electronic image. Both the paper record and the electronic image are supposed to be randomized so that no one can tell which ballot belongs to which voter. Researchers who first identified the issue in 2022 discovered that the software flaw can reverse the randomization, restoring the original sequence of ballots.
When combined with publicly available data – such as early‑voting lists and audit logs – the restored order can be used to match voters to their ballots. Princeton researcher Max Springer demonstrated that an AI assistant could reverse the shuffling for the May primary and, using additional public records, create “buckets” of ballots and potential voters. In many cases the AI was able to identify specific voters, and with further audit logs it could match most ballots to individuals.
Why secrecy matters
The Georgia Constitution explicitly requires elections to be conducted by secret ballot, and state law mandates that no person may see or know another elector’s vote. A breach of that secrecy could open the door to vote‑buying, coercion by family members, employers, or political organizations, and could provide campaigns with detailed targeting data.
State response
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office has acknowledged the concern and is working with the vendor, now called Liberty Vote, to scramble the order of ballot images and cast‑vote records before they are released. Gabriel Sterling, the secretary’s special projects manager, argued that the vulnerability is less useful for vote‑buying than for mail‑ballot fraud, and that campaigns would find it cheaper to increase outreach to favorable voters than to try to reconstruct ballots.
Election Board member Salleigh Grubbs proposed a rule that would require the immediate application of a software update recommended by the manufacturer. The board rejected the proposal, citing lack of certification, funding shortfalls, and concerns about the tight timeline before the midterms. Board member Sara Tindall Ghazal called the situation “intensely frustrating” but noted that Georgia law makes it a felony to reveal how someone voted, providing a strong deterrent.
What other states are doing
Many jurisdictions that use the same Dominion‑made equipment have already applied a software patch that fixes the flaw. Some states have also limited public access to the records needed to exploit the vulnerability. Georgia remains the only state that uses the system statewide without a universal update.
Mark Lindeman of Verified Voting described Georgia’s situation as a “perfect storm” of an open‑records law and the unpatched software. He warned that the continued exposure could invite legal challenges and erode public confidence.
Proposed interim measures
Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, urged the state to stop recording identifying information on ballots altogether, rather than restricting public access. She also suggested a practical interim fix: collect ballots in locked precinct boxes, then shuffle and scan them at a central tabulating center to break any link between voter and ballot.
As the election board works through legal, technical, and budgetary hurdles, the clock is ticking. With Georgia’s pivotal role in the 2026 Senate race and the presidential contest, ensuring ballot secrecy is essential to preserving the integrity of the entire election process.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
