Channel 2 Action News has learned that critical voting machines were stolen just days before polls will open for a special election.
State officials are investigating after equipment was taken from a Cobb County precinct manager’s vehicle. According to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the equipment was stolen on Saturday evening while the vehicle was parked at the Kroger on Canton Road.
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Kemp’s office says Cobb County Elections waited two days to tell his office about the theft of the machines.
The four so-called ExpressPoll machines were the computers poll workers used to check-in voters, and check those off who cast ballots.
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"It's very shocking, especially with the climate we have of voter fraud out there," one Georgia voter told Channel 2's Ross Cavitt.
Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said the stolen machines cannot be used to fraudulently vote in Tuesday’s election. Eveler said the machines have voter information on them, but that information is “hard to access.”
Eveler said they will completely replace the machines at the Piedmont Road precinct.
“It should be as secure as the banks, or anywhere else with our information,” another voter said.
Kemp released the following statement Monday afternoon: “It is unacceptable that the Cobb County Elections Office waited two days to notify my office of this theft. We have opened an investigation, and we are taking steps to ensure that it has no effect on the election tomorrow. I am confident that the results will not be compromised.”
You can count on Channel 2 Action News for complete election coverage Tuesday night. We'll have up-to-the-minute results and live reports from the campaigns in Georgia's Congressional race. Plus, instant results on WSBTV.com!
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