Panel considers overhaul of antiquated Georgia voting system

In this Oct. 19, 2017 photo, Kelly Monroe, investigator with the Georgia secretary of state's office, left, looks at a new voting machine being tested at a polling site in Conyers, Ga. Last summer, a security expert came across a gaping hole in Georgia's election management system. The revelation prompted a lawsuit seeking to compel Georgia to toss all of its touchscreen voting machines and replace them with a system that provides a paper record of every ballot cast. Georgia is one of five states where no such record exists. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
In this Oct. 19, 2017 photo, Kelly Monroe, investigator with the Georgia secretary of state's office, left, looks at a new voting machine being tested at a polling site in Conyers, Ga. Last summer, a security expert came across a gaping hole in Georgia's election management system. The revelation prompted a lawsuit seeking to compel Georgia to toss all of its touchscreen voting machines and replace them with a system that provides a paper record of every ballot cast. Georgia is one of five states where no such record exists. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

MACON, Ga. (AP) - A commission considering a replacement for Georgia's antiquated voting system plans to hold a last meeting in January before finalizing recommendations to lawmakers.

The Secure, Accessible and Fair Elections Commission discussed different voting systems Wednesday and the criteria members must consider in making recommendations.

Election security experts warned the electronic touchscreen machines Georgia uses are vulnerable to hacking and lack an auditable paper trail to confirm votes were recorded correctly. A key issue is whether the commission will recommend electronic touchscreen machines that print paper ballots or paper ballots marked by hand with a pen.

The commission work predates a controversy over Democrat Stacey Abrams' loss to Republican Brian Kemp for governor. A group backed by Abrams subsequently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the way Georgia elections are run.

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