Paperless voting hack threat to US

MORE than one in 10 voters could cast ballots on paperless voting machines in the 2020 general election, according to a new analysis, leaving their ballots vulnerable to hacking.

A study released by the Brennan Centre for Justice at NYU School of Law yesterday evaluated the state of the US’s election security, six months before the New Hampshire primary, and concludes that much more needs to be done.

While there has been significant progress by states and the federal government since Russian agents targeted US state election systems ahead of the 2016 presidential election, the analysis notes that many states have not taken all of the steps needed to ensure that something similar doesn’t happen again.

The report also notes that around a third of all local election jurisdictions were using voting machines that are at least a decade old, despite recommendations they be replaced after 10 years.

“We should replace antiquated equipment, and paperless equipment in particular, as soon as possible,” the report recommends.

The analysis comes as Congress is debating how much federal government help is needed to ensure state election systems are protected.

Using voter registration and turnout data, the centre estimates that as many as 12% of voters, or around 16 million people, will vote on paperless equipment in November 2020.

Security experts have said that paper-based systems provide better security because they create a record that voters can review before casting their ballots and election workers can use them to audit results.

Still, the number represents an improvement from 2016, when 20% of voters cast ballots on paperless equipment.

In the last presidential election, 14 states used paperless voting machines as the primary polling place equipment in at least some counties and towns. In 2020, that number is expected to drop to no more than eight.

The states that could still have some paperless balloting are Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee.