ROCKDALE COUNTY PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 3rd, 2023
ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. – The Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, has declared that the audit of Rockdale County’s election infrastructure, including both software and hardware, has been completed successfully. This was done in preparation for the upcoming municipal elections in 2023 and the Presidential elections in 2024.
In coordination with the Rockdale County election office, the Secretary of State’s office recently conducted health checks of the voting system, finding that Rockdale County’s election infrastructure remains secure, unaltered, and fully functioning as Georgia heads into a significant election cycle.
“We are happy to hear that our voting system is secure,” Department of Elections Director Cynthia Willingham states, “Hats off to the Board of Elections staff for their work in ensuring the security of our voting system, and we remain committed to prioritizing transparency, integrity, and security. The Board of Elections has the crucial responsibility of ensuring that our voters’ votes are accurately cast.”
These health checks are in conjunction with Secretary Raffensperger’s Four-Point “Secure the Vote” Plan for the 2024 election. That plan includes:
Testing before the election (Logic and Accuracy Testing)
Every piece of voting equipment in all 159 counties is tested to ensure each contest is voting properly by testing every candidate and ballot position on the Ballot Marking Devices and that all scanners are reading ballots properly.
Testing during the election (Parallel Monitoring)
Live election equipment will be randomly selected and tested during the active voting period, every day of voting from the start of early voting through Election Day. This testing will detect any active, ongoing threat.
Voter review and accountability
Since 2020, Georgia voters could review their ballot for accuracy before submitting it for tabulation. In 2020, the University of Georgia conducted a study of Georgia’s live elections and found that more than 80% of Georgia’s voters review their ballots.
Testing after the election (Risk Limiting Audits)
With the passage of HB 316 and SB129, Georgia now has robust post-election audit procedures in place to detect any anomalies in the outcomes of elections.
These election equipment health checks are part of the greater election security initiative launched by the Secretary of State Raffensperger’s office to administer the most secure elections in the Country. Georgia’s election system consists of multiple layers of security, robust audit procedures, and thorough function and diagnostic testing before any election. The Secretary’s top priority is election security, with 100% voter-verified paper-based elections, 100% photo ID, and a 100% commitment to accurate and trusted elections.
Additionally, the Secretary of State’s office is partnering with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to ensure that all 159 county election offices are safe, secure, and held to the highest physical security standards possible.
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