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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 24 april 2023
National push to bolster security of key election technology

Continued from Front in-person after returning a solely by the center and
mail ballot. eventually is to be support-
“This is a critical need be- How much of an effect the ed entirely with fees paid
ing filled at a critical time,” new testing program will by technology providers,
said Chris Wlaschin, senior have on the 2024 presiden- according to the center.
vice president for Election tial election is yet be de- Meanwhile, the federal
Systems & Software, a lead- termined. Much depends commission is pursuing its
ing voting machine manu- on how many technology own testing program for
facturer that also produces providers sign up and how electronic pollbooks. Earlier
electronic pollbooks. “I many state election offices this year, agency officials
think as more election of- will use it, but there ap- said they are making prog-
ficials learn about it, the pears to be wide interest. ress with their pilot program
more they’re going to ask “One of the major benefits but that it was unlikely stan-
for it.” of this program is that it will dards could be in place
The use of electronic poll- Mark Splonskowski assembles electronic poll book kits that provide a consistent pro- before the 2024 election.
books in particular has ex- voters will use to sign in at polling locations at the Albany County cess for certification for all As the use of electronic
panded rapidly in recent Board of Elections building, Oct. 14, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. of the different states that systems has grown, they
years. Nearly one-third of Associated Press adopt it,” Jamie Remes have proved an attractive
all voting jurisdictions in the The systems bring unique at any polling place, elec- with VR Systems, a provider target for those seeking to
U.S. used electronic poll- security challenges. In tronic pollbooks often com- of electronic pollbooks and meddle in U.S. elections.
books in 2020, compared many cases, they have in- municate with each other election management sys- In 2016, Russian hackers
with about 18% four years ternet connections or inter- and with the central voter tems, said during a recent scanned state voter reg-
earlier, according to data act with systems that do. In registration system. That’s event organized to discuss istration systems looking
collected by federal Elec- counties with a vote center one way to ensure people the testing program. for vulnerabilities and ac-
tion Assistance Commis- model, where registered are not able to vote at The South Carolina Election cessed the voter registra-
sion. voters can cast a ballot multiple locations or vote Commission, which has de- tion database in Illinois,
veloped its own voter regis- although an investigation
tration system, was among later determined no voter
the offices participating in data was manipulated. In
the center’s testing pilot. 2020, Iranian hackers ob-
Commission member Brian tained confidential voter
Leach said during the re- data and used it to send
cent panel discussion that misleading emails, seeking
he saw one benefit of the to spread misinformation
program as helping “in- and influence the election.
crease voter confidence in Experts say the systems
what we are doing.” could be prime targets
Confidence in elections, again for those seeking
particularly among Re- to disrupt voting and sow
publicans, has decreased doubts about the security
amid a sustained cam- of elections. Gaining ac-
paign by former President cess to a voter registration
Donald Trump and his allies database, for example,
to discredit the results of could allow someone to
the 2020 presidential elec- delete voters from the rolls.
tion. There is no evidence When people show up to
of widespread fraud or ma- vote, they would be told
nipulation of voting equip- they are not on the list and
ment in 2020, backed up forced to cast a provisional
by exhaustive reviews in ballot.
states lost by Trump. In Detroit last November, a
The center has not been im- few polling locations had
mune to the assault on U.S. brief delays checking in
elections and has faced voters related to a data er-
various claims related to ror that was quickly identi-
its work. Online posts have fied and resolved. Trump
sought to raise questions seized on the early reports,
about its funding, purpose calling the situation in De-
and the services it provides troit “REALLY BAD” in a so-
to state and local election cial media post and urging
offices. people to “Protest, Protest,
The center receives a mix Protest!”
of federal and private “It’s not just about product
money, and the pilot de- testing,” said Jared Dear-
veloped for its testing pro- ing, the center’s senior di-
gram got support from the rector of election security
Democracy Fund, which and the former director of
was started by eBay found- the Kentucky Board of
er Pierre Omidyar, a donor Elections. “It’s increasing
to Democratic campaigns the security posture of the
and liberal causes. The test- companies that are creat-
ing program itself is funded ing these products.”q