Case 1:17-cv-02989-AT Document 579 Filed 08/15/19 Page 8 of 153 On April 2, 2019, the Governor of Georgia approved newly enacted state election legislation.8 The legislation replaces the statewide mandated use of DREs with mandated electronic ballot-marking devices (“BMDs”) and optical scanners that count votes recorded on the paper ballots produced via printers attached to the BMDs.9 The legislation also revises various voting procedures and provides somewhat vague requirements for expanded auditing of the balloting system and results, using the ballot printout as a key element in the audit process. The Secretary of State’s Office formally released a request for bid proposals on March 15, 2019, two days after the Georgia Senate approved the legislation. The State represented to the Court that the contract was expected to be awarded by mid-July 2019. Mid-July came and went with no announcement from the State regarding the selection of its voting machine vendor and system. On July 25 and 26, 2019, the Court held a lengthy hearing on Plaintiffs’ renewed injunction motions. The hearing concluded after 8:00 p.m. on Friday evening. First thing Monday morning July 29th, the State awarded the low bidder, Dominion Voting Systems, Inc., the contract for a sum of $106,842,590.80. The Secretary of State’s contract with Dominion calls for the full implementation of this new voting system in time for Georgia’s March 2020 Presidential Preference Georgia Act No. 24, Georgia House Bill 316, amending Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. 9 See O.C.G.A. §21-2-300. The state additionally authorized up to $150 million for the contract with a private vendor, to be selected, for purchase of election equipment, software, and services in connection with the new voting equipment and electronic pollbook equipment and supporting software for the electronic voter check-in and verification system at the polls. 8 8