New Hampshire: Pilot ballot counting machines move forward in certification process | Jeongyoon Han/New Hampshire Public Radio

New audit reports from the Secretary of State show that ballot machines piloted in this year’s spring municipal elections counted votes accurately, moving all of the vendors forward in the process to certify new machines in time for elections in 2024. At a Ballot Law Commission meeting Wednesday, Eric Forcier, the Secretary of State’s constitutional deputy, said all the ballot counting devices used in the March elections had minor errors — but all within what are typical margins. “I think all the vendors are excited to show New Hampshire all the great things that the machines can do if we're willing to take her along,” he said. Four vendors are vying to gain certification from the Commission, which approves voting machines for elections in New Hampshire. The state wants to replace the current machines produced by AccuVote. Brad Cook, the chair of the Commission, said he hopes the group will select two machines at most. From there, municipalities would be able to decide which machines to purchase and use for their local races. Milford, Ashland, Winchester and Londonderry piloted ballot machines produced by three different companies: Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Clear Ballot and Dominion Voting Systems. The machines will continue to be piloted in future elections. May elections in Moultonborough and Hanover will test VotingWorks and ES&S machines, respectively. Full Article: Pilot ballot counting machines move forward in NH certification process | New Hampshire Public Radio

Opinion: The Greatest Threat to Our Elections Is No Longer Foreign | Senator Mark R. Warner/The New York Times

In the decade since President Vladimir Putin of Russia directed a sweeping campaign of hacking and social media messaging to try to tilt the 2016 presidential election toward his preferred candidate, the United States has rightly focused on shoring up our elections against foreign meddling. But I fear that foreign interference is no longer the most pressing danger to our elections. It is increasingly evident that the greatest threat now comes from inside our own government. For months, President Trump has made his intentions clear. He has called for the federal government to “take over” elections, impose national rules and override state authority. Now we are beginning to see how he may plan to do this. According to recent reporting in The Washington Post, allies of Mr. Trump’s working in coordination with people close to the White House have circulated a draft executive order that would declare a national emergency based on false claims of foreign interference in the 2020 election. That declaration would be used to unlock sweeping presidential powers over how Americans vote. Read Article