Commission to probe election security

cern — where the state was given “unsatisfactory” marks — include post election audits; ballot accounting and reconciliation; and the lack of a voter-verified paper audit trail.

The state has been using digital voting machines for about 15 years and uses up to 10 different versions, Mr. Hickton said. At least 500 precincts in the state use a model of machine that a Princeton University researcher hacked into in about seven minutes, he added.

To partially rectify the state’s failing election security grade, the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf announced in February that every state voting machine purchased must now include a verifiable paper ballot or paper record of votes cast.

The group is bipartisan and includes authorities on law, cybersecurity and tech, including Esther Bush, president at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh; Jim Brown, former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey; Pitt chancellor emeritus Mark Nordenberg; and Susan Carty, president at the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania.

The Heinz Endowments supplied a grant for the commission’s work, also supported by the Verified Voting nonprofit and Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute CERT Division.

The public may submit comments via the Pitt Cyber website at www.cyber.pitt.edu/commission.