The Democracy Defense Project (DDP), a bipartisan group of former elected officials and leaders who pledge a commitment to “free and fair elections,” yesterday launched in Georgia. It is led by former Gov. Nathan Deal, former Gov. Roy Barnes, former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. In contrast, yesterday the bipartisan Coalition for Good Governance fired off a strong letter to the State Election Board (SEB) hoping that at least some with the DDP get educated by cybersecurity and other experts on Georgia’s voting system vulnerabilities and other security problems.
A DDP media press says, “At a time when America’s confidence in the state of our elections and democracy has significantly eroded, Democracy Defense Project brings together trusted leaders to bolster our faith in the integrity of our elections system. Designed to serve as a counterweight to attempts to undermine and sow distrust in election integrity, Democracy Defense Project’s board members will speak up when these instances arise and publicly defend those who have sworn to uphold the rule of law.”
The Coalition for Good Governance, on the other hand, in its letter to SEB Chairman John Fervier and the four other board members, is begging that it “address the eleven listed topics in rulemaking in time for governing the November election. We know that it is a heavy lift for a majority new board, given that rules have not been adopted since 2021. We assume that timely addressing the needed rules will require engagement of independent outside experts and legal counsel and we urge you to do so, given the compelling importance to the nation of a defensible and controversy-free election in November.”
“We call on the Board to immediately address the many grave dangers resulting from the fact that Georgia’s voting system software was stolen and distributed online to numerous unknown actors who can use it to deploy attacks in the complex vulnerable touchscreen system that Georgia needlessly uses in all polling places,” the Coalition continues. “The Board has the authority and duty to secure the November election through rule-making subject to General Assembly election committees’ review before final adoption.”
The summary of the Coalition’s recommendations follows, and the letter to the Board and details are linked here with supporting documents.
In its media statement, the Coalition says, “While there are numerous serious problems with the Georgia’s voting system security and some aspects of election administration and ballot accounting, the state law and state constitution clearly provide for safeguards to avoid such risks. But those safeguards are not being deployed, and therefore the election is at great risk of chaotic controversy. The current five-member State Election Board is in a unique position to take a fresh look at the problems November elections face, given that the majority of the Board was appointed in 2024.”
Former Atlanta Mayor Franklin, though, speaking on behalf of the DDP, disagrees and appears satisfied with Georgia’s election system. “Georgia’s elections are secure and fair, and we are fighting to keep it that way,” she said. “When voters from all four corners of our great state cast a ballot, they should be confident that the system works and their vote counts – because it does.”
