Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp is creating a commission of lawmakers, party leaders, elections officials, and voters to study options for Georgia’s next voting system and provide recommendations to the Georgia General Assembly.

“As Georgia’s Secretary of State and Chief Elections Official, I have led efforts to ensure secure, accessible, and fair elections for all voters by prioritizing this objective: to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Peach State. Our success stems directly from leveraging technology in all aspects of our operations, including online voter registration, electronic ballot delivery to our military voters and families, and a complete overhaul of Georgia’s voter registration database away from mainframe technology. After the success of our pilot project last November using new voting equipment with a voter-verified paper trail, it is time for the state to move forward with phasing out our current voting equipment, which is battle-tested and secure but nearing replacement age. I will spearhead this effort through an open, inclusive, and bipartisan commission, inviting all stakeholders to the table – and together, we will put politics aside and put Georgia voters first.”

Kemp’s commission will conduct thorough discussions on all options – including the feasibility of using all hand-marked paper ballots to all electronic machines with a voter-verified paper trail – and travel the state to solicit feedback from members of the voting public. The commission will be tasked with reviewing cost analysis of a new system, post-election audit procedures, and recommended legislation for the next session of Georgia’s General Assembly.

Details on the commission members and calendar of meetings will be released at a later date.

Brian Kemp has been Secretary of State since January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting secure, accessible, and fair elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities, charities, and professional license holders. For more information about the office, go to www.sos.ga.gov.