(José Niño, Headline USA) Georgia’s State Election Board executive director has asked the Trump administration to examine the state’s voting system weeks before Election Day. The request puts QR code ballot tabulation, election software, voter data sharing, and access to records under renewed scrutiny, per a report by the Washington Examiner.
James Mills sent letters last Wednesday to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Civil Rights Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The Washington Examiner reported that Mills asked for federal “review and, where appropriate, investigation and intervention concerning Georgia’s voting system, ballot secrecy, preservation and access to election records, and the sharing of voter registration and motor vehicle data with outside organizations.”
The request arrives about one month before the election and less than two weeks before early voting begins in Georgia. Mills asked the Justice Department to assess the state’s QR code ballot tabulation process, voting software, and the larger operating environment surrounding the election system.
QR code voting has generated persistent debate in Georgia. Election security advocates have argued that voters cannot independently read the machine encoded information used to count their ballots, while critics of the system warn that electronic components may create opportunities for mistakes or interference. As the Washington Examiner reported, Republican state lawmakers previously called for testing hand marked ballots before the midterms, noting that a 2024 law requires Georgia to end QR code ballot counting in 2026.
Mills also accused Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of limiting access to election documents. In his letter, Mills said Raffensperger “restricted access to election records” and asked federal officials to investigate claims that election records may have been altered, withheld, or destroyed. The request seeks accountability for any state official found responsible for violating election record requirements.]
Raffensperger’s office rejected the timing and premise of the request. Spokeswoman Michon Lindstrom told the Washington Examiner, “People who are serious about election security don’t inject chaos in the eleventh hour.” She added, “In roughly 30 days, Georgia’s 159 election directors will conduct a free, fair, and fast election for all eligible Georgia voters.”
The Justice Department has not announced whether it will act. A department official told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that “any decision on whether to take action is made independently by the Department, based on the facts and the law.”
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
