PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg ruled to dismiss a case challenging Georgia’s electronic voting system, citing a lack of standing, despite recognizing substantial concerns about the system’s security and administration.

Who’s Involved: The ruling affects plaintiffs including the Coalition for Good Governance and various Georgia voters. The case, Curling v. Raffensperger, has been ongoing since 2017.

Where & When: The decision was issued in the Northern District of Georgia on a late Monday.

Key Quote: “Plaintiffs lack standing to pursue their claims because neither of these asserted injuries constitute an invasion of a legally protected interest under governing precedent,” Judge Totenberg wrote.

Impact: The dismissal leaves Georgia’s use of the Ballot Marking Device system in place despite security concerns, while plaintiffs consider exploring an appeal.

IN FULL:

In Georgia, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg has dismissed a long-standing case aiming to move the state’s election system to hand-marked paper ballots. The case, Curling v. Raffensperger, initiated in 2017, sought to replace the electronic voting system currently in use, citing risks regarding the security and accuracy of the Ballot Marking Device (BMD) system. The Barack Obama-appointed judge’s decision, issued late on April 1, found the plaintiffs lacked legal standing—despite acknowledging significant concerns about the electronic voting system’s administration and security.

“Plaintiffs lack standing to pursue their claims because neither of these asserted injuries constitute an invasion of a legally protected interest under governing precedent,” Judge Totenberg said.

The plaintiffs in this case included the Coalition for Good Governance and several Georgia voters. They have argued that the existing system, which relies on a QR code to tally votes, does not allow voters to verify that the system recorded their intentions accurately.

The QR code used on ballots is not readable to voters, prompting concerns over the integrity of the vote tabulation. Judge Totenberg, referencing the plaintiffs’ injuries as not legally actionable, stated that these concerns do not invade a legally protected interest.

A major point of contention for the plaintiffs was the system’s vulnerability to potential manipulation. Dr. J. Alex Halderman, a computer science expert, provided testimony during the trial demonstrating how the system could be exploited, including altering QR codes to change voter selections and accessing the system via simple physical manipulation.

Despite these concerns, the ruling affirms the use of Georgia’s electronic voting system for the time being, leaving the future of the voting system’s security unresolved.

The ruling comes just days after the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi dropped a lawsuit against electoral reform in Georgia, initiated by the former Biden government. That lawsuit had demanded that Georgia scrap its voting laws passed after the 2020 elections. This included measures such as stricter voter ID requirements for mail-in ballots and more.

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