Here’s how to protect our election data

Dear Editor: Concerns about election hacking cover three areas: voter data; election machines; election-related correspondence.

There are two possible strategies to protect election integrity: (1) make election data unhackable; (2) intimidate the universe of potential hackers.

So far, our nation is choosing option (2), targeting, in particular, Russia.

If instead we chose option (1), we wouldn’t have to worry about hackers.

Here is how it would work: For election data, use only closed, highly reliable systems, ones without access to the Internet and with very limited software updating. Most computer systems before the Internet era ran that way.

For elections, use paper ballots. Ballots can be counted electronically. Any results sent by the machine should be checked against results sent in parallel by a human being. For some number of polling places, manual counting should be used to verify the machine count. Note that the United Kingdom manages to have elections without the use of voting machines.

What about election-related correspondence, particularly email?

If candidates and staffs support fair election practices, show real concern for voters’ situations, and have practical, popular, solid plans for the public good, no one will care if e-mails are hacked. Frank Stoppenbach,

Red Hook, N.Y.