Securing elections

Cyber threats to American elections are real. Ballot security needs to be upgraded now.

If a burglar tries to break into your house and you’re pretty sure it might happen again, it’s a good idea to invest in the best security system you can afford.

We need to apply that same common sense principle to preventing the theft of something we Americans hold sacred: our elections. We know that hackers have tried to break into election computer systems across the nation. Now it’s crucial we do whatever it takes to prevent them from succeeding.

The National Security Agency last year discovered what was described as a “months long Russian intelligence cyber effort” against voter registration processes, including an especially insidious attack on a private company making devices that maintain voter rolls. When investigators in Illinois discovered cyber-intruders tried to delete or alter voter registration data, they quickly realized they weren’t alone. Russian hackers reportedly tried to break into voter databases in at least 39 states and launched phishing campaigns that tried to take over computers run by more than 100 local election officials.

So far, these hackers have failed. But it won’t take much for them to succeed.

“Even minor things have the potential to undermine confidence in the process,” Bob Kolasky, an acting deputy undersecretary with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told the Chronicle’s editorial board last week.

As it turns out, there are some easily identifiable actions state and local governments can take to improve the security of our elections. The Brennan Center for Justice recently conducted a study pointing out potential problems in our voting systems and how they can be addressed before our next presidential election.

The study estimates that 42 states are using voter registration databases created at least a decade ago. Many local systems run on outdated software like Windows 2000 or Windows XP, which are more vulnerable to cyberattack because Microsoft no longer supports those operating systems. Harris County runs its voter tabulation system on Windows 7; Dan Baker, a computer security expert with the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, points out that operating system is two versions behind the latest release. The Brennan Center recommends upgrading all of the outdated IT infrastructure still used by state and local election offices

The report also suggests replacing antiquated voting machines with new systems that create paper trails officials can use to audit computerized election results. Only 26 states require that authorities conduct postelection audits to confirm the integrity of computer generated vote tallies. That step is crucial to insuring the integrity of election results. Experts consulted by the Brennan Center believe many states haven’t conducted comprehensive assessments of cyber threats to voter registration systems in several years. That’s surprising, because election officials need to constantly review how hackers might crack into databases. Wallach, the Rice University computer security expert, suggests Harris County hire a professional security “penetration testing” firm to identify soft spots in election infrastructure.

Of course, implementing these recommendations will cost money. The task of replacing paperless machines alone in the United States will run anywhere from $130 million to $400 million, the study estimates, but that’s a small price to pay to insure that our elections are secure. If state and local governments can’t afford these upgrades, Congress needs to provide funding for addressing what’s clearly a national security issue.

“This is a big deal,” former FBI director James Comey testified before a congressional committee investigating Russia’s attempts to influence U.S. elections. “And people need to recognize it. It’s not about Republicans or Democrats. They’re coming after America.”

At a time when we’re spending billions on border security, it’s abundantly clear America needs to spend more on ballot security.

Harris County runs its voter tabulation system on Windows 7.