On Independence Day, U.S. elections remain vulnerable
As Americans celebrate Independence Day, it’s worth remembering that the right to vote in free and fair elections stands at the heart of that independence — and that this cherished right is under attack by a foreign power.
New revelations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election arrive regularly. Last month came news that Russian hackers had probed the voting networks in 21 states and had executed a cyberattack on a contractor that supplies voting software to states. “They will be back,” former FBI director James Comey warned senators.
In the face of this threat, federal and state leaders have done little to harden defenses against future attacks.
President Trump has been in denial about Russian meddling, as if acknowledging the problem threatens the legitimacy of his election, and has focused instead on unproven allegations of widespread voter fraud.
While the Senate Intelligence Committee is working to get to the bottom of Russian interference, Congress has done nothing to encourage states or provide money to shore up election security. House Democrats have introduced a smattering of measures, but without bipartisan support they’ve gone nowhere.
Even in states where election officials warn that voting equip- ment is dangerously out of date, legislators refuse to act. In January, the North Dakota House rejected, 78-12, a request for $9 million to upgrade voting machines that election officials warned are on the brink of failing. In Arkansas, a Senate panel rejected using surplus funds to buy new machines. And in Georgia, Secretary of State Brian Kemp has argued vehemently against replacing the state’s voting machines, which are susceptible to sabotage because they lack a paper record of votes.
Now, in yet another distraction from protecting elections from this Russian assault, a White House commission, created after Trump’s spurious claim that he lost the popular vote only because of extensive fraud, has
made a request for information so sweeping that election officials in more than 20 states rejected the panel’s request.
Meanwhile, states could make voting systems less vulnerable by taking several actions identified in a report released last week by the Brennan Center:
uReplace aging voting machines that are costly to maintain, many of which were bought after the 2000 Bush v. Gore election fiasco. Parts for many are no longer even sold.
uEliminate machines, still used in 14 states, that lack a paper trail. The best systems marry new digital technology with paper records, so voters can verify that their ballots are accurate and states can check for accuracy.
uUpgrade voter registration databases to prevent cyberattacks that could wreak havoc if registered voters’ names were tampered with or removed.
Improvements are often low priority for cash-strapped states. A push from Congress, perhaps in the form of matching grants with short deadlines, would energize states to do what’s needed.
None of this is a partisan issue. Russians attacked the very essence of democracy last year, and there’s every indication they’ll try to do so again. Independence Day is the perfect moment to promise that America will be prepared to repel the next assault.