Voters in Georgia have been granted a long-standing case to go to trial in January. The lawsuit was filed against the state for their reliance on machines sold by Dominion Voting Systems, an issue that has been contentious since the 2020 presidential election. On November 10th, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg refused that the state should avoid trial, prompting more discussion on the matter.
“The Court cannot wave a magic wand in this case to address the varied challenges to our democracy and election system in recent years, including those presented in this case,” Totenberg wrote in her ruling. “But reasonable, timely discussion and compromise in this case, coupled with prompt, informed legislative action, might certainly make a difference that benefits the parties and the public.”
Marilyn Marks, executive director for the Coalition for Good Governance and one of the plaintiffs, expressed her satisfaction with the ruling. “The court’s order makes it clear that Georgia’s status quo is far too risky, and that these concerning issues merit a trial. We look forward to prevailing at trial as we demonstrate why touchscreen BMDs (ballot-marking devices) cannot be used safely,” she said.
Here is additional information.. BTW, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Democrats that want to get rid of Dominion.
"When it was initially filed in 2017, it targeted the paperless touchscreen voting machines that Georgia had been using for 15 years. It was then amended to…
— Debbie Dooley (@Crimsontider) November 13, 2023
David Cross, an attorney for some of the plaintiffs, also shared his opinion on the ruling which he said noted the “long story of incompetence, conflicting claims, and misinformation.” According to Cross, Halderman, a computer science professor at the University of Michigan, filed a report earlier this year that stated “Georgia’s system suffers from critical vulnerabilities that can be exploited to subvert all of its security mechanisms.” Halderman also noted that anyone with physical access to a voting machine had the capability to alter votes on the machine.
However, Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs refused to negotiate, echoing her sentiment with a simple response: “We don’t negotiate with election deniers.” Fuchs missed the point of the ruling, which was acknowledged by Totenberg in her decision. “The Court notes that the record evidence does not suggest that the Plaintiffs are conspiracy theorists of any variety. Indeed, some of the nation’s leading cybersecurity experts and computer scientists have provided testimony and affidavits on behalf of Plaintiffs’ case in the long course of this litigation,” Totenberg wrote.
Federal judge orders trial for Georgia’s Dominion voting machines.
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Having a trial in and of itself serves as an indicator that something is wrong. Cross commented on the decision, saying, “We look forward to presenting our full evidence at trial and obtaining critical relief for Georgia voters. But we hope this decision will be a much-needed wakeup call for the Secretary and SEB, and finally spur them to work with us on a negotiated resolution that secures the right to vote in Georgia.” After months of debate and controversy, Georgians have the chance to have their voices heard in court.