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I'm reluctant to give this specious claim more oxygen, but it's important to understand that this isn't a serious threat. Blank mail-in forms aren't particularly security sensitive. They are authenticated based on the voter's signature and other info on the return envelope. 1/ https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1275024974579982336
That is, when a completed ballot is returned, election officials verify that the signature (on the envelope containing the ballot) matches the signature on file for that voter, that the voter hasn't already voted, and that other information (such as an ID number) matches. 2/
In fact, some places permit voters to print their own ballot at home on their own printer.
That said. ballot verification requires resources, and it's possible that a surge in mail-in ballots could overwhelm some jurisdictions. So we'll need to increase funding for November. 3/3
That said. ballot verification requires resources, and it's possible that a surge in mail-in ballots could overwhelm some jurisdictions. So we'll need to increase funding for November. 3/3
If you're interested in election security, a comprehensive, authoritative reference is this National Academies report: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25120/securing-the-vote-protecting-american-democracy (free PDF download).
I wrote up some specific concerns for November (which we urgently need to plan for) here: https://www.mattblaze.org/papers/Emergencyvoting.pdf
I wrote up some specific concerns for November (which we urgently need to plan for) here: https://www.mattblaze.org/papers/Emergencyvoting.pdf
If I had a soundcloud, I would urge you to check it out here.
Instead, let me urge you to sign up to become a poll worker in your local jurisdiction. They need the help and you'll learn a lot!
Instead, let me urge you to sign up to become a poll worker in your local jurisdiction. They need the help and you'll learn a lot!
Finally, despite what the president claims, voting by mail is neither new nor known to be especially susceptible to fraud. EVERY state has long provided for mail-in absentee voting, and some states use vote-by-mail for almost all voters. There's a lot of experience here.
There are, however, tradeoffs - vote by mail shifts tasks from local precincts to county election offices, and resources need to be provided accordingly. We can't just snap our fingers and expect it work smoothly. We need to plan for it, urgently.
By the way, just from a computer science/cryptographic point of view, the security protocols for mail-in ballots (with nested sealed envelopes that allow authenticating them while also preserving ballot secrecy) are worthy examples of robust human-scale security.
