Georgia Secretary of State supports update to voting machines

Georgia's secretary of state applauded the House's passage of a bill that would fundamentally change how Georgians vote.

Brad Raffensperger held a news conference Tuesday to express his support for House Bill 316, which would update the state's 17-year-old touchscreen direct-recording electronic voting machines.

Instead, voters would use touchscreen ballot-marking devices.

Supporters say this will provide a paper trail, so a physical recount would be possible if need be.

"Throughout the country everyone has gone with a system with a paper audit trail and that's very important," Raffensperger said. "At the end of the day after you cast your ballot and you optically scan that ballot it's going to drop into a box. So we'll now be able to do a physical recount."

The bill is now being considered by the Georgia state Senate.