Pa. is spending millions on election security, but the effort has its critics

This story originally appeared on PA Post.

—

The release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election brings the issue of election security back into the spotlight.

Protecting the integrity of elections is of particular concern to Pennsylvania after escaping an unsuccessful hacking attempt of the statewide voter registration database by Russian operatives in 2016.

With the next presidential election now just a year away, county and state election officials are scrambling to make sure they have done everything they possibly can to avoid foreign actors creating chaos when voters go to the polls to elect the nation’s chief executive.

Under an order by Gov. Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania is moving to voting machines that leave a paper trail that can be audited. Other efforts include securing the voter registration data. Election officials maintain they are ferreting out potential vulnerabilities that could cast doubt on the integrity of election results and making changes to address them before next year’s primary.

That’s why Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar says with certainty, “Pennsylvania voters can be completely confident that when they vote in the presidential primary their vote will be counted accurately.”

With those efforts, though, come some resistance from county officials along with concerns, particularly about the cost of new voting systems. Replacing those machines alone is expected to cost between $93 million and $150 million, depending on which system the counties choose, according to Boockvar’s department.

But it’s an investment that state election officials see as necessary after learning in 2017 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that Pennsylvania was one of 21 states that had its election computer systems scanned by Russian actors for vulnerabilities, though not actually hacked.

Constant vigilance

“The Department of State has worked diligently over the past two years to increase election security in Pennsylvania and keep pace with the latest advances in cybersecurity.” Boockvar said.

Fortunately, though, she said, “We are not fighting this battle alone.”

The department has formed partnerships with a broad coalition of county, state, and federal agencies, including homeland security, the Center for Internet Security, the National Guard, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and others to maintain and enhance security, she said.

“We have made a priority of building the relationships and the technical infrastructure necessary to achieve this level of vigilance, because we know that ensuring the highest possible level of protection will be a key element of election preparation and administration from now on,” Boockvar said.

Pennsylvania was the first state to take up homeland security on its offer to perform a vulnerability assessment of its cybersecurity posture, said Wanda Murren, a Department of State spokeswoman.

The state department has implemented a host of election security measures, including a layered set of protections to secure the voter registration databases and employing encryption technology and other tools to protect systems. There is also continuous monitoring and information-sharing among election, intelligence, and homeland security officials across the country about potential threats.

The department also is encouraging voters to check their registration status much like they check their bank account or credit report to help detect any problems that could impact their ability to vote. That can be done online at votespa.com by clicking on the “check your registration status” and entering your driver’s license number or name as it appears on your registration card. A toll-free hotline is also available to check registration status at 877-VOTES-PA (877-868-3772).

Last April, Wolf issued an order that all 67 counties had to replace their nearly 25,000 voting machines with state-certified voting systems that incorporate a voter-verified paper ballot by the 2020 presidential primary.

These systems allow voters to review their paper ballot to make sure their votes are recorded accurately before it is cast. Those paper ballots then can be used to perform post-election audits to confirm the accuracy of results.

“The combination of these factors – verifiability and audit-ability – means every voter can feel confident that their vote will be counted accurately,” Boockvar said.

Cementing the governor’s voting machine replacement order are the terms of a settlement announced in December of a little-noticed federal vote-counting lawsuit filed against the state by 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein agreeing to put voter-verified paper ballot voting systems in place by the end of 2019.

Pennsylvania is one of only 12 states – and the only swing state – where voters in a majority of counties use direct recording voting machines that store votes electronically without a paper backup. All of those states, however, like Pennsylvania, are in the process of replacing them or plan to replace them by 2020, Murren said.

Other reforms being sought

While that debate rages on, outsiders are calling for other changes to the electoral process that they see as just as critical as dealing with and improving cybersecurity and other security-related issues.

The Committee of Seventy, a Philadelphia-based government reform group, for one, said recruiting and training poll workers, which has become a significant challenges in places across the commonwealth, is another of its concerns, said committee spokesperson Pat Christmas.

Micah Sims, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, also wants to see the state make strides that likely would increase voter participation.

These include ideas such as allowing people to register and vote on Election Day and pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds. It also would like to see Pennsylvania join the 39 states and District of Columbia that allow any qualified voter to cast a ballot in person during a designated time period prior to Election Day, with no excuse or justification required.

“I think now that we’re in a more ‘secure’ – if people thought we were unsecure although I don’t ever think we were – place that these type of reforms to make sure voting accessibility is there can only enhance and improve our elections and our election turnout,” Sims said.

PA Post is a digital-first, citizen-focused news organization that connects Pennsylvanians with accountability and deep-dive reporting.