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CIS: Grace Hopper Distinguished Lecture: “A 2020 Vision of U.S. Election Security”
November 14, 2019 at 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Abstract:
Despite the provision of a $380M federal grant to enhance technology and improve security in the 2018 midterm elections, machine failures and computer malfunctions again plagued polling places (in GA, PA, NY, IN, TX, and MA), resulting in late openings, long lines, and turned-away voters. Poor ballot layouts resurfaced in Florida, resulting in nearly 25,000 missed votes and the removal of the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, due to “misfeasance, incompetence and neglect of duty.” Many of the unauditable electronic voting machines are now being replaced with paper ballots and scanners, but creative State legislation (including in FL, MI and CA) and new tactics (such as risk-limiting audits) are increasingly being used to thwart and prohibit comprehensive recounts, even when results fall within the range of equipment error. This talk examines some of the shenanigans that we may be looking forward to seeing in 2020, sheds light on the reasons why contrived (and even avoidable) disenfranchisement continues to play a fundamental role in American Democracy, and offers some suggestions for improvement.
Rebecca Mercuri
Founder of Notable Software, Inc
Bio:
Rebecca Mercuri, Ph.D. is the founder of Notable Software, Inc., where she provides cybersecurity, standards compliance, and expert witness services. Currently she is authoring a book on digital forensic investigations from the standpoint of criminal defense. Dr. Mercuri is well-known for having provided testimony in the Bush v. Gore election controversy, less than a month after defending her doctoral dissertation (Electronic Vote Tabulation: Checks and Balances) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Engineering School. Her website and commentary on election technology at <www.notablesoftware.com/evote.html> is considered to be a primary resource and has been predictive of many of the problems and solutions in current relevance in that field.