Georgia's Congressional Democrats Push Back on State Board’s 'Unsubstantiated Claims' in DOJ Letter
ATLANTA, GA — Today, four of the five members of the Georgia U.S. House of Representatives Democrat delegation and Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, the Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration that oversees federal elections, sent a letter to the Georgia State Election Board pushing back on its Sept. 30 letter to the Department of Justice seeking their intervention in the state’s voting machines ahead of the November midterms elections, which are now in just 27 days.
“We are greatly alarmed by the mischaracterizations, and clear partisan motivations, that underlie the “Formal Request” letter you submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice on September 30, 2026. This letter, which plainly misstates the requirements of federal law — and which requests the Attorney General take action exceeding the power of the Department of Justice — is a clear attempt to sow public mistrust in the security of American elections. We demand that the Georgia State Election Board (“SEB”) clarify to the voters of Georgia that the tested and certified voting systems in use in the state, which have been used for three federal elections, are legal, secure, and safe.”
Read the full letter HERE and below.
Georgia State Election Board
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Floyd West Tower
Suite 324
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Dear Mr. Mills:
We are greatly alarmed by the mischaracterizations, and clear partisan motivations, that underlie the “Formal Request” letter you submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice on September 30, 2026. This letter, which plainly misstates the requirements of federal law—and which requests the Attorney General take action exceeding the power of the Department of Justice—is a clear attempt to sow public mistrust in the security of American elections. We demand that the Georgia State Election Board (“SEB”) clarify to the voters of Georgia that the tested and certified voting systems in use in the state, which have been used for three federal elections, are legal, secure, and safe.
There is absolutely no ambiguity on this point: The voting system used by Georgia voters complies with state and federal law. Your unsubstantiated claim that Georgia’s voting system is “inconsistent” with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (“HAVA”) is deeply troubling; one would expect that someone in your position would have some basic understanding of applicable federal election law. HAVA mandates that the United States Election Assistance Commission (“EAC”) “provide certification, decertification, and recertification of voting systems, as well as the accreditation of voting system testing laboratories.” The EAC also issues Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (“VVSG”), which cover “pre-voting, voting, and post-voting operations consistent with the definition of a voting system in HAVA Section 301(a).” And, as you should know, a state’s voting devices and software “must meet [VVSG specifications] in order to receive certification from the EAC.” Of course, Georgia’s voting system has undergone the EAC’s thorough testing process, as evidenced by the fact that the EAC has certified Georgia’s voting system, as required by Georgia’s statutory and regulatory regime.
The intent of your letter is clear—to serve as a pretext for undermining public confidence in Georgia’s election results this November. Americans should know that the State Election Board does not administer Georgia’s elections. That responsibility rests with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State’s Elections Division. The SEB has important statutory oversight and rulemaking responsibilities, but those responsibilities should not be conflated with the actual administration and certification of Georgia elections. Nor should any erroneous SEB communication to the Department of Justice concerning Georgia’s elections be understood as anything more than partisan political actors’ attempt to justify future attempts to overturn a free and fair American election—an extraordinarily serious, and cynical, misuse of official communication.
Public confidence in elections depends in substantial part upon public officials communicating accurately, responsibly, and within the scope of their statutory authority—and without incompetently, or intentionally, mischaracterizing the law. Georgians have used the state’s voting system for three straight federal elections—elections won by both Republicans and Democrats. And Georgia has one of the most rigorous, robust post-election audit regimes in the country—this is how we know that Georgia’s elections are free, fair, and secure. You should therefore promptly clarify the record, correct any inaccurate characterization of HAVA or Georgia’s voting-system requirements, and make clear that Georgia’s elections are administered by the Secretary of State and conducted using voting systems that have satisfied the certification requirements established by state and federal law.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Reps. Joe Morelle (NY-25), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Everton Blair (GA-13).
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