ATLANTA — In a move toward greater transparency in the state's election process, Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that would mandate the Secretary of State’s office to publish images of ballots online.
The proposal, sponsored by Republican Representative John LaHood, aims to allow voters to inspect and count the ballots digitally.
"There's been a lot of discussion over the last few years from voters who wish to have more transparency. And, this allows voters to see the ballots and count them, inspect them, via a digital image," LaHood said.
The latest version of the bill specifically pertains to paper ballots and would require that they be scanned and displayed in the highest possible resolution allowed.
Marilyn Marks, representing the Coalition for Good Governance, has been following the bill closely and generally supports it. She believes that making ballot images available to the public could help detect discrepancies, such as uncounted precincts.
"Let's say a precinct failed to have their ballots counted. That would become more obvious when all of the images are uploaded," Marks explained.
However, Marks also voiced concerns about the broader issue of election security, particularly regarding the use of voting machines.
She emphasized that while displaying ballot images could help voters understand the counting process, it does not address vulnerabilities posed by marked ballots and voting machines.
Notably, the proposed ballot images would not include any voter's personal information, addressing some privacy concerns.
When questioned about the potential cost of implementing this measure, LaHood assured the committee last month that it would be minimal, citing the Secretary of State’s office already working on a pilot program for the initiative.
The bill was sent to committee earlier this week for further consideration.