Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has asked the Justice Department to review whether commonly used ballot-marking devices create a verifiable record suitable for manual audits.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Mullin sought a determination on devices that tally votes through bar codes or QR codes and whether they comply with federal law. These machines print ballots from a touch-screen computer that include both text and machine-readable codes before feeding them into a separate tabulator.

The request comes amid ongoing federal efforts to strengthen election security. DHS has previously highlighted risks from foreign-manufactured components in voting equipment and directed states to conduct paper ballot audits. Major vendors have acknowledged reliance on overseas suppliers for some parts.

Ballot-marking devices are in use in states including Georgia and South Carolina. Critics have raised theoretical concerns about potential manipulation of digital codes, though no instances of such interference have occurred in actual U.S. elections. Election systems undergo extensive testing and certification by federal, state, and local authorities.

The Trump administration has moved to increase oversight of voting infrastructure, including recent changes at the Election Assistance Commission. Supporters of the inquiry argue it promotes greater transparency and reliance on auditable paper records rather than purely electronic processes.

Mullin’s letter focuses on ensuring compliance with existing standards for verifiable results. The Justice Department has not yet responded publicly to the request.