The Georgia State Election Board has asked the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to review and potentially investigate the state’s voting system, citing outdated software, threats to ballot secrecy, and QR-code ballots that may violate federal law. The request, sent in a September 30 letter, comes as President Donald Trump’s push to investigate alleged election fraud faces legal setbacks in California and other states. Georgia officials have expressed differing views on the move.
In 2020, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rebuffed Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s presidential election results. The secretary of state’s office said Georgia’s voting machines have not been updated since they were purchased in 2019. A software glitch on state tabulators that could affect ballot secrecy has been known to the state since 2022, but a fix has not been installed. The Justice Department said it was evaluating the request and would investigate and, if appropriate, bring an enforcement action consistent with federal law.
The letter drew opposition from within Georgia. Election board chair John Fevrier, appointed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp, said a majority of the board now believes the letter “far exceeded what was in the resolution.” Michon Lindstrom, senior director of communications for the secretary of state, told Axios: “It’s unfortunate that the state election board sought to inject chaos in the 11th hour of the election.”
The state has spent years debating how to address vulnerabilities in its voting system. A 2024 law aimed to replace QR-code ballots with hand-marked paper ballots, but lawmakers extended the transition deadline. State legislators have not funded voting machine upgrades; Secretary of State Raffensperger in 2025 urged lawmakers to consider a less expensive software upgrade, but no upgrades were funded.
“There are no clean hands in this,” a Georgia election official told Axios. “The secretary of state could have fought harder for the funding… The legislature could have funded it when the secretary of state asked for it. But… they all have pissed each other off so much.”
A federal judge on Friday blocked the administration from threatening to charge election officials who count ballots from voters the DOJ claims are ineligible, and an appeals court rejected a demand to set aside mail-in ballots in California. But the dispute in Georgia shows the fight over federal intervention in state elections is far from over.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Georgia election board’s invitation gives the Trump administration a potential foothold to investigate election procedures in a key state, directly affecting how votes will be counted in upcoming Senate and governor races.
- The dispute highlights the ongoing struggle between state and federal authority over election administration, with implications for election security and voter confidence nationwide.
- The lack of state funding for voting machine upgrades means Georgia may be forced to rely on outdated equipment, raising concerns about accuracy and secrecy.
Background
Georgia’s election system has been a flashpoint since the 2020 election, when Trump pressed state officials to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. The state’s voting machines, purchased in 2019, have not been updated. In 2024, the legislature passed a law requiring a shift from QR-code ballots to hand-marked paper ballots, but the transition was delayed beyond a July 2026 deadline. A software glitch affecting ballot secrecy has been known since 2022 but remains unfixed. The secretary of state’s office said there is no money for upgrades.
Key Perspectives
- Georgia State Election Board majority: Argued that outdated software, ballot secrecy risks, and QR-code ballots violate federal law, and asked the Justice and Homeland Security departments to investigate.
- Board chair John Fevrier: Opposed the letter, saying it “far exceeded what was in the resolution.”
- Michon Lindstrom, secretary of state communications director: Called the board’s action an attempt to “inject chaos in the 11th hour of the election.”
- Anonymous Georgia election official: Said responsibility for the system’s problems is shared among the secretary of state, the legislature, and the election board, with all sides failing to cooperate.
What to Watch
- The Justice Department’s response to the Georgia request: whether it opens an investigation or declines to act.
- How federal courts balance the Trump administration’s investigatory efforts against recent rulings limiting federal pressure on local election officials.
- Whether Georgia lawmakers will allocate funding for voting machine upgrades before the next election cycle.