Today, the nation’s leading experts in cybersecurity, computing, and science called on Governors, Secretaries of State and State Election Directors to refrain from allowing the use of any internet voting or voting app system in U.S. elections.
An open letter prepared by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues and endorsed by leading organizations and experts in cybersecurity and computing highlights two decades of rigorous, science-based analysis which clearly demonstrates that internet voting is not a secure solution for voting in the U.S., nor will it be in the foreseeable future.
“The scientific evidence regarding internet and voting app systems is remarkably clear – these are not secure solutions for American elections,” said Michael D. Fernandez, founding director of the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to American elections, it is essential that officials at the local, state, and federal levels follow the scientific evidence in implementing alternate solutions. While internet voting is not a viable solution, options like voting by mail and early voting can help support the diverse needs of the electorate, addressing both new concerns relating to COVID-19 and existing disparities in ballot access.”
As detailed in the attached letter, the statements below reflect the findings of both recent and two decades of rigorous, science-based analysis by, among many others: the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; officials at the Department of Homeland Security; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- All internet voting systems and technologies are currently inherently insecure.
- No technical evidence exists that any internet voting technology is safe or can be made so in the foreseeable future; rather, all research performed to date demonstrates the opposite.
- No blockchain technology can mitigate the profound dangers inherent in internet voting.
- No mobile voting app is sufficiently secure to permit its use.
A number of organizations working on election issues have also endorsed the letter including representatives from the ACLU of Puerto Rico National Chapter, the Association for Computing Machinery U.S. Technology Policy Committee, Common Cause, Citizens for Better Elections, Free Speech for People, the National Election Defense Fund, R Street Institute, and Verified Voting.
