Lessons from election

It has been reported that for the 2016 election computer voting systems in as many as 39 states were hacked by a foreign government. It was further reported that two of the companies that provided software for the election machines were also hacked by this same government.

I certainly don’t know what effect this hacking had on the 2016 election. Should we just assume that the foreign government’s interventions had no effect on the 2016 election and was just idle fun? If we make that assumption, when we know the interventions will continue, then we are accepting foreign intervention and its potential influence as a new normal.

I am strongly recommending that we immediately update our voting equipment, increase security, improve the internal controls and improve our election process. It will take time for trained professional people to do this work. I doubt that we have the time to complete this work that absolutely must be done before the 2018 election. Until the new system is in place, I suggest we return to a paper ballot with a detachable receipt for the voter.

In my opinion, our democratic system depends on a free, fair, honest and accurate system that can be audited. This must be done now.

Express your thoughts to this paper. Hopefully someone with influence will read our letters to the editor and say, “Maybe we should do something about this.”

JERRY P. PEIRCE Russellville