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Now that you mention it:
The SoS office pointed out that people who claim GA's scanners are violating a law that allows
and 
marks to count as votes are citing an outdated code section (§ 21-2-438) that does not apply to Georgia's new optical scan voting system. https://twitter.com/dufort_jeanne/status/1278380025411223553
The SoS office pointed out that people who claim GA's scanners are violating a law that allows
and marks to count as votes are citing an outdated code section (§ 21-2-438) that does not apply to Georgia's new optical scan voting system. https://twitter.com/dufort_jeanne/status/1278380025411223553
21-2-438 is part of a larger code section that deals with "paper ballots" that some municipalities used and was last updated in 2003, before Georgia switched to direct-recording electronic voting machines.
Georgia's ballot-marking devices+scanners are governed by a code section for "precincts using optical scanning voting equipment."
Same general area of the law, but an important difference.
Same general area of the law, but an important difference.
Furthermore, here's how the State Election Board defines a vote on hand-marked ballot in rule 183-1-15-.02.
"Filling in the oval adjacent to the name of the candidate or answer to a question for which the voter desires to vote"
But what if it's not filled in fully, Stephen?
"Filling in the oval adjacent to the name of the candidate or answer to a question for which the voter desires to vote"
But what if it's not filled in fully, Stephen?
...that's where § 21-2-483 (g), in the optical scanning code section, comes in.
Counties have vote review panels that manually review ballots rejected by the scanner to determine voter intent.
But scanners don't always flag/pick up marks that can cover a small % of the oval.
Counties have vote review panels that manually review ballots rejected by the scanner to determine voter intent.
But scanners don't always flag/pick up marks that can cover a small % of the oval.
So in some cases, vote review panels saw marks visible to human eye (like a big X or checkmark) that didn't get flagged by scanner.
But that's how it's supposed to work - scanners are calibrated to look at a certain area on the ballot and act if it meets a certain threshold.
But that's how it's supposed to work - scanners are calibrated to look at a certain area on the ballot and act if it meets a certain threshold.
Above a certain % = it's a vote!
Below a certain % = no vote!
within a certain % = humans, come check!
It relies on calibration to not miss votes (while not having EVERY stray mark flagged) AND voters to actually fully bubble in an oval. https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1278412881990750209?s=20
Below a certain % = no vote!
within a certain % = humans, come check!
It relies on calibration to not miss votes (while not having EVERY stray mark flagged) AND voters to actually fully bubble in an oval. https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1278412881990750209?s=20
If hand-marked paper ballots were being used in a precinct, a precinct scanner could be used to alert the voter of a problem/flagged selection.
But these absentee ballots are returned and tabulated using a central scanner where the voter isn't present.
But these absentee ballots are returned and tabulated using a central scanner where the voter isn't present.
TL;DR - if you vote absentee in Georgia, be sure to follow the directions to fully bubble in the oval of your selections so the scanner records your vote!
(and always double-check your ballot before casting it, regardless the method you choose to vote!)
(and always double-check your ballot before casting it, regardless the method you choose to vote!)
And as Tom points out - the vote review board with their human eyes can and do judge whether something is a stray mark or a check/x/intended to be a vote.
It just has to be enough of a mark to get registered and flagged by the scanner.
https://twitter.com/tommcmahandade/status/1278420273457438728?s=21 https://twitter.com/tommcmahandade/status/1278420273457438728
It just has to be enough of a mark to get registered and flagged by the scanner.
https://twitter.com/tommcmahandade/status/1278420273457438728?s=21 https://twitter.com/tommcmahandade/status/1278420273457438728
Revisiting this again after speaking with multiple county elections officials - they told me this is exactly how the scanners are supposed to work and they encourage voters to fully mark their absentee ballots.
