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I spent 2019 immersed in election security work in the Senate, and have stayed involved in my personal capacity in 2020.
Here are a few things I learned, if they're helpful to you on this bright, sunny day:
Here are a few things I learned, if they're helpful to you on this bright, sunny day:
1) The act of voting is getting more secure every cycle. We now have paper ballots across the vast majority of the United States, and post-election audits of those paper trails are becoming more routine.
Verified Voting has a good map of this: https://verifiedvoting.org/verifier/#mode/navigate/map/ppEquip/mapType/normal/year/2020
Verified Voting has a good map of this: https://verifiedvoting.org/verifier/#mode/navigate/map/ppEquip/mapType/normal/year/2020
2) Voting machines in the US are mediocre (at best). But paper ballots and routine audits are tools that allow us to *reduce trust* in those machines, by detecting if they misbehave.
As hard as election security is, this is actually a reasonable foundation for trusted elections.
As hard as election security is, this is actually a reasonable foundation for trusted elections.
3) Online voting doesn't have this foundation, and isn't ready for the general population. It likely won't be for at least 20 years.
Thankfully, the U.S. resisted the (understandable and well-intentioned!) temptation to deploy it widely in 2020 during a terrifying pandemic.
Thankfully, the U.S. resisted the (understandable and well-intentioned!) temptation to deploy it widely in 2020 during a terrifying pandemic.
4) One clear bad thing: the election integrity community has been wounded and divided over the trustworthiness of paper ballots marked by a machine, vs marked by hand.
I hope that by the next big cycle, the community finds a way to narrow the divide and repair its relationships.
I hope that by the next big cycle, the community finds a way to narrow the divide and repair its relationships.
5) The election administration community is made up of dedicated badasses. They will go to the mat to get your vote counted.
Despite some well-known partisan hacks like Kemp, Kobach, and Grimes, I was generally impressed even by the elected secretaries of state in both parties.
Despite some well-known partisan hacks like Kemp, Kobach, and Grimes, I was generally impressed even by the elected secretaries of state in both parties.
6) Most importantly: I trust the vote. And by all appearances, U.S. voters and election administrators are persevering through incredible adverse forces to renew democracy at a time when it matters most.
Let's make it count. If you're in the US, please vote!
Let's make it count. If you're in the US, please vote!
