Last Week, the House Administration Committee voted on party lines to defund the Election Administration Commission, the leading federal agency responsible for helping states run smooth elections and preventing hacking. Republicans justified the move as a way to save money and shrink the size and scope of government: “We don’t need fluff,” said Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), the committee chairman, explaining his vote. But the move wasn’t just Capitol Hill budget politics as usual. It’s evidence of a radical disconnect between a handful of influential House Republicans and nearly everyone else—including the scientific community, leading cybersecurity experts, and even the White House—who contend that voting vulnerabilities are a serious problem. On the morning of the election, Donald Trump called Fox News to give his views on the state of voting in the United States: “There’s something really nice about the old paper ballot system—you don’t worry about hacking.” Trump wasn’t going rogue. While his “voter fraud” comments have gotten serious attention of late, he has also, like many conservatives, expressed concern about the vulnerability of voting systems.
According to recent studies, more than 40 states use electronic machines that are more than 10 years old and rely on outdated platforms like Windows 2000. This means more breakdowns and, naturally, more vulnerability to interference. Across the country, independent observers have found electronic voting systems to be astonishingly insecure. These problems have yet to be fixed.
In addition to software risks with electronic voting machines, a January report from US intelligence agencies concluded that “Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards.” While the reports found that foreign agents did not target the machines or tabulators themselves, the news underscores that elections are a matter of national security.
Full Article: Want Secure Elections? Then Maybe Don’t Cut Security Funding | WIRED.