Political Rewind: Questions over voting machines; SCOTUS set to release opinions; Gas giveaway

Caption

A new study shows Georgia's voting machines could be vulnerable to outside hacking. However, officials say there is no evidence of hacking elections in Georgia since the machines were put to use.

Credit: John Bazemore, AP

The panel:

Patricia Murphy — political reporter & columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Michael Thurmond — CEO, DeKalb County

Fred Smith — professor of constitutional Law, Emory University

The breakdown:

1. Voting machines may be vulnerable to hacking.

• A review showed that Dominion voting machines may be vulnerable to outside hacking.
  • Georgia has used the machines since 2020. 
  • There is no evidence that they have been hacked in Georgia, officials say. 
  • The vulnerabilities were found in the barcodes on ballots. 
• Far-right conspiracy theorists have targeted Dominion voting machines in their election fraud lies. 

2. Gun safety debates progress in U.S. Congress. 

• Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said a bipartisan deal on gun safety laws could be reached. 
  • It will not incorporate many of the policies President Joe Biden called for, like banning assault-style weapons and ending immunity for gun makers. 
• A lawsuit against Daniel Defense is in the works. 
  • Parents and school staffers involved in the Uvalde shooting have started the process to take legal action against the gun manufacturer. 
  • Daniel Defense sold the shooter his weapon. 
  • A 2005 law may prevent the lawsuit, though. 

3. The U.S. Supreme Court considers gun laws. 

• The court case will decide if the Second Amendment protects the right to conceal a weapon outside the home. 
• Justices are examining a New York gun law. 
• Their decision is not expected to impact Georgia as much as states with stricter gun laws, Emory law professor Fred Smith said. 

4. Gas giveaway sparks controversy. 

• A PAC provided customers at one gas station in Georgia with $25 gas vouchers with pamphlets promoting Walker and demonizing Warnock. 
• Democrats were quick to call the program illegal. 
• But Walker was not involved with the program, so it was legal. 
• It called attention to the patchwork of laws in Georgia that allows programs such as the gas vouchers but criminalizes giving water to voters.

Tuesday on Political Rewind:

GPB News' Riley Bunch and Stephen Fowler join the show.