Recent cyberattacks on state voter databases and the Democratic National Committee are raising fresh concerns that hackers could manipulate the upcoming presidential election. … “When people hear how the Russians have infiltrated political parties or state election sites, they immediately jump to, ‘Oh, they can flip votes and change the result of an election,’ ” said Lawrence Norden, deputy director of the Democracy Program at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. That’s much easier said than done, said Mr. Norden. State boards of elections and law enforcement officials are working to protect the vote, and election officials do have measures in place to safeguard elections. For instance, the Department of Homeland Security said it will monitor closely for suspected breaches on voting systems and work with election boards to bolster their security. Still, according to Norden and other experts, more needs to be done. Here’s a closer look at potential problems at today’s ballot box and some solutions to harden the vote against hackers.
… The nonprofit organization Verified Voting and other watchdogs define internet voting as a system in which a voter returns his or her completed ballots via email, transmits it through a web portal, or submits a facsimile of a paper ballot over the internet. Even many of the states where this takes place warn voters that casting votes in this manner is risky.
Thirty-one states allow internet voting but most restrict it to military and overseas residents or citizens with disabilities. Many also require voters to mail in paper ballots separately. Only Alaska allows for any registered voter to ask for and submit ballots electronically.
Verified Voting has a detailed breakdown of the polling place and early voting equipment that will be used in each county in each state in the upcoming November elections. Simply select your state and county from the interactive map on Verified Voting’s website to see what equipment you will be using and how to use it.
Full Article: Can the vote really be hacked? Here’s what you need to know – CSMonitor.com.