Hacking fears surface ahead of U.S. election

With allegations that Russia is meddling in the U.S. presidential election, there is growing concern that hackers could target vulnerable systems in a number of states, particularly so-called DRE voting machines

CURRENT STATE-BY-STATE VOTING SYSTEMS

Paper ballot

Vote by mail

Paper/DRE with VVPAT*

Paper/DRE, some VVPAT

Paper/DRE without VVPAT

DRE with VVPAT

DRE without VVPAT

WA OR CA AK ID NV AZ MT WY UT CO NM HI ND SD NE KS OK TX MN IA MO AR LA MI IN KY TN MS AL OH WV VA NC SC GA FL PA NY VT NH ME MA RI CT NJ DE MD DC

*Voter- verified paper audit trail

VULNERABLE SYSTEMS

Voter registration 
FBI warned election officials in August following alleged Russian hack of databases in two states, including up to 200,000 Illinois voter records

Optical scan paper ballot

Participants cast votes using pen or marking device, then ballots fed into optical scanner

Results tabulated by central computer – vulnerable to hacking

DRE (Direct-recording electronic)systems: Machines with no VVPAT pose greatest risk – if manipulated, vote cannot be compared to physical record. Older systems – such as in Georgia – more vulnerable to hacking

Roughly 20 percent of Americans cast ballots with no paper record – more than 45 million voters (as of Nov 2014)

Sources: Verified Voting, Mother Jones, wire agencies