Central Election Commission: six reports by US-based auditor confirm Georgia’s electronic voting technologies met international standards

Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on Tuesday said six reports by a US-based international auditing company had been issued on the country’s last two general elections, confirming that the electronic voting technologies used in Georgia were functioning properly and complied with international best practices and standards.

The election administration issued the statement in response to what it described as “manipulative statements” made by analyst Vano Machavariani during a television programme regarding electronic voting.

“We would like to respond to the manipulative statements made on one of the television channels regarding electronic elections. Analyst Vano Machavariani is trying to create the perception in society that the elections were rigged through the use of technology. His statements demonstrate not only incompetence, but also the deliberate dissemination of disinformation”, the statement said.

The CEC said that, despite detailed explanations provided on the issue on numerous occasions following the parliamentary elections, Machavariani’s continued references to the matter could be viewed as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and as inappropriate conduct for an expert.

The election administration also said such statements formed part of a broader trend in which certain interested parties, including experts and observers, had made what it described as manipulative or disinformation-based claims about various electoral issues without providing evidence.

According to the CEC, Machavariani appeared to be unfamiliar with the technical capabilities of the voting machines and the procedures governing elections. It also stressed that official election results were based on the manual counting of ballots by election commissions, a process conducted publicly in the presence of representatives of the parties and other involved stakeholders.

The CEC further rejected claims that data could be uploaded onto the voting machines used in Georgia, saying the equipment did not have such a technical capability. It added that Machavariani had cited Russian electoral technologies as an example, despite differences between the architecture and procedures of the electronic voting technologies used in Georgia and the models he referenced.

“We would like to remind the public that there are six reports by a US-based international auditing company concerning the last two general elections. These reports confirm that electronic voting technologies are functioning properly and comply with international best practices and standards”, the statement noted.

The election administration stressed that it remained ready to consider substantiated opinions and recommendations, but could not accept what it described as incorrect interpretations of facts.

“We therefore call on all interested parties, when discussing issues related to electoral technologies, to rely on verified facts, technical documentation and the relevant legal framework”, the statement said.