SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND?

Defy the cyber hackers and vote

This is not the time to let fears of cyber hacking keep us away from exercising our unalienable right to vote. Ignore all the talk of cyber threats manipulating our votes. Cyber threats are not going away, and the August primaries will be a vital study basis for supervisors of elections in Florida’s 67 counties.

The Sunshine State was cited as one of 20 states targeted by cyber hackers in the 2016 presidential election. As the 2018 elections approach, the Orange County Elections Office reports that since 2016, new and improved systems and servers have been put in place, and there are “checks and balances all the way up the line.”

Orange County has applied to the state for a $1.9 million share of the $19 million that the Florida Department of State received in federal funding for elections cyber security. If received in time, the grant money will expand automated alerts if data is threatened. One of the fears is that a hacker might be able to get into a county database and change a voter’s registration or polling location, causing havoc on Election Day.

So it will be even more important this year to vote in the Aug. 28 primary and the Nov. 6 general election. We cannot let fears of what might be keep us away from having a voice in the future of our state. IDEAL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE BRIEF AND TO THE POINT. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY, ACCURACY OR LENGTH. SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE WRITER’S NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.

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Orlando, FL 32801 Email: insight@orlandosentinel.com Online: OrlandoSentinel.com/letters