When it comes to voting, the logical next step in this global technological evolution would be to avoid those long lines and vote online from home or the office. However, security experts warn that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
"Sometimes jurisdictions that are adapting something like this spin it as 'this is very 21st century, this is the modernization of elections,'" Pamela Smith, President of Verified Voting told
The Washington Post.
"Paper ballots have many advantages. When something is online, you don't have that physical record of voter intent."
Thirty-two states will offer some version of electronic voting for this general election, with most cases being offered to members of the military or other Americans overseas. Alaska, however, will offer the ability for all voters to submit an absentee ballot from their own homes, the Post reports.
But there's a price to pay for that convenience, and experts say it far outweighs the benefits of modernity.
Neil Jenkins, an official in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, said his division "does not recommend the adoption of online voting for elections at any level of government at this time," the Post quoted his remarks from a conference.
Why? Online voting security gets a failing grade.
J. Alex Halderman, a University of Michigan professor and director of its Center for Computer Security and Society, told of a project six years ago where the public was invited to attack a proposed internet voting system. Halderman led a team that within 48 hours was able to change every vote, the Post reported.
"It will be decades more before Internet voting can be secure," Halderman told the Post.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.