ATLANTA (AP) — An apparent cyberattack that affected government operations in Georgia’s most populous county is creating challenges for its election office as it prepares for the state’s March 12 presidential primary.
Robert Sinners, spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, said Thursday that Fulton County’s access to the state voter registration system had been restricted as a precaution. There was no indication election systems were targeted, and county officials were working through plans to begin restoring the connection, county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt said.
“In an abundance of caution, Fulton County and the Secretary of State’s technology systems were isolated from one another as part of the response efforts,” Corbitt said in a statement. “We are working with our team to securely re-connect these systems as preparations for upcoming elections continue.”
The county, which includes Atlanta, did not respond to questions about whether officials were able to process new voter registration applications and mail ballot requests received since discovering the breach, which the county described as a “cybersecurity incident.”