Full Breakdown
Georgia’s Election-Integrity Push Ahead of the 2026 Midterms
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event: Statewide Safeguards and Transparency Measures
Georgia election officials are deploying a multi-layered program to assure voters that the 2026 midterm elections will be safe, accurate, and free from tampering. The effort includes daily coordination across 159 counties, testing of Dominion ballot-scanner machines, a bipartisan Election-Integrity Task Force, and a schedule of 20 post-election audits.
Watch
Related reporting
cbsnews
Video: Georgia officials hard at work to ensure midterms are secure
youtube
Inside Georgia's push to rebuild trust in elections after Trump's false claims
02
Background & Context
The security drive stems from former President Donald Trump’s false claims that Georgia “stole” the 2020 presidential election. In January 2021, Trump urged Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” amplifying partisan scrutiny of Georgia’s vote-counting processes. FBI agents later seized boxes of 2020 election material from Fulton County, but no charges have been filed. Georgia has refused the Justice Department’s request for Social Security numbers and dates of birth.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
Timeline
- January 2021 – Trump contacts Raffensperger, demanding additional votes.
- 2024 – FBI raid on Fulton County election headquarters; investigation finds limited double-counting due to human error.
- October 27 2026 – The Election-Integrity Task Force reports that more than 1.5 million Georgians have voted early, with 800,000 ballots cast in the preceding week.
04
Data & Statistics
- Raffensperger’s office cites a recent voter-roll audit showing 99.8 % accuracy.
- The Georgia Department of Audits reports the voter list is 99.9 % accurate.
- The state plans to replace its aging Dominion machines by 2028.
- Thirty states, including Georgia, have declined the Justice Department’s request for sensitive voter-identifying information.
05
Official Statements & Responses
Brad Raffensperger emphasizes daily communication with local officials and stresses that “our team has daily contact” with all counties, overseeing training, oversight, and equipment security.
The Election-Integrity Task Force, created in August, outlines safeguards such as photo ID, independent voter-list audits, and the deployment of federal monitors to Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties.
Salleigh Grubbs, a member of the Georgia State Election Board, argues that the Dominion touchscreen machines “are not trustworthy” and points to admitted double- or triple-counting in Fulton County, calling for a federal investigation of the equipment’s vulnerabilities.
06
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
State investigators concluded that Fulton County’s double-counting resulted from human error and did not affect overall outcomes. Grubbs asserts the board “admitted” double and triple counting, implying a more serious procedural flaw.
07
What’s Next
Georgia intends to retire its Dominion machines by 2028 and will conduct 20 audits after Election Day to cross-verify ballot counts. Federal monitors will continue to observe voting in key metro-Atlanta counties throughout the election period. The combined state and local actions aim to restore public confidence before the decisive midterm contests.