ATLANTA — The Georgia Secretary of State said it was "unacceptable" for thieves to get into an unsecured voting location and steal two machines.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has opened an investigation into Fulton County elections procedures after the incident. Officials said two Express Poll Books were stolen. They are used to check voters into their respective polling locations.
“Security should be everyone’s top priority,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “It is unacceptable that bad-actors entered a polling location under the cover of night and were able to steal critical elections machinery.”
The location of the theft was at a Fulton County polling precinct located at the Grove Park Recreation Center at 750 Frances Place in northwest Atlanta.
Fulton County quickly replaced the two stolen machines and the Atlanta Board of Education District 3 election was able to proceed as normal, officials said.
No voter was impacted, the Secretary of State's office said. They said these express poll books are among the "older, dated technology" used alongside the current voting system and contain voter information such as names, dates of birth, addresses, and driver’s license numbers.
“This is a prime example of why Georgia is replacing these outdated systems,” said Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs. “Our new KnowInk poll pads have the ability to track units, encrypt data, and better secure voter information.”
Georgia Secretary of State investigators have formally opened their investigation and said they will release details as they come available.