An over-haul of Georgia's election system was the focus of a house sub-committee at the Gold Dome.
A bill introduced Tuesday calls for a system that would combine touch-screen computer voting and a paper ballot. Voters would make their choice on a touch-screen, which would print out a paper ballot so they can see their choices. If it all matches up, voters turn in the paper ballot, which would count as their actual vote.
Georgia’s Secretary of State spoke at the hearing and said the proposed system would eliminate a lot of human error.
"Handmarked paper ballots are not as secure," said Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger. “I would prefer and the general assembly will make the ultimate decision, but I believe that a machine-marked paper ballot system is the most secure system because you don't have to decipher what voter intent was."
Concerns about the proposed system included cost.
"Our expected cost would increase from about $14,000 in 2018 to an anticipated cost of about $350,000 for the year in 2020,” said Lynn Bailey, Richmond County Voting Chairperson.
That is a cost that would be paid by the counties. The state does not pay for each county to print its paper ballots.