It was mid-July 2016 when Neil Jenkins learned that someone had hacked the Illinois Board of Elections. Jenkins was a director in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, the domestic agency with a congressional mandate to protect “critical infrastructure.” Although election systems were not yet formally designated as such — that wouldn’t happen until …

A healthy democracy depends on public confidence in elections. Post-election audits can build public confidence in the outcome of the election if they provide reasonable assurance that the reported outcomes are correct. When people take the trouble to observe the audits, they witness the procedures that are aimed at confirming election results, and public confidence in electoral outcomes is strengthened. …

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democratic system of government, a fundamental guarantee that preserves all other rights. The right to vote depends on a system of election administration that provides all eligible voters with an effective opportunity to participate. At an irreducible minimum, this means ensuring that the machinery of democracy has the capacity to record …

New York University hosted a discussion on election security at their Washington, DC campus. Security experts and election officials talked about efforts to safeguard the midterm elections from cyberattacks. They also discussed voting systems security, election monitoring efforts, barriers to voting, and coordination between local, state and federal officials to ensure the results of the 2018 midterms. https://www.c-span.org/video/?451858-1/election-security  

I. Introduction This case involves colliding election and voting rights dynamics and dilemmas. The State of Georgia Defendants have delayed in grappling with the heightened critical cybersecurity issues of our era posed for the State’s dated, vulnerable voting system that provides no independent paper audit trail. The Plaintiffs did not bring their preliminary injunction motions in a sufficient time span …

ABOUT The Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) was established in July 2017 with one goal: to help secure democratic elections against cybersecurity threats and information operations. There are two groups on the frontlines of defending democracy: (1) political campaigns, which enable citizens to pursue elected office; and (2) election officials, who ensure the election process is free and fair. Last …