Visitor put up by Chris Alexander
In early August, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry renewed an Govt Order declaring a cybersecurity State of Emergency within the State as a result of “extreme, intentional, cybersecurity breaches of public entities all through the State of Louisiana” in addition to the “imminent risk” of future assaults. (EO 24-131). jml-24-131-renewal-of-state-of-emergency-cybersecurity-incidents.pdf (louisiana.gov).
The State Division of Motor Automobiles, the Louisiana Particular College District, at the least 24 Clerk of Courtroom programs, and the St. Landry Parish College Board are solely a number of the public companies whose programs have been severely compromised by cybercriminals within the current previous.
Landry’s EO authorizes State companies to droop regular working process if “strict compliance” with such would “in any approach stop, hinder, or delay vital motion in dealing with the emergency.” (EO 24-131).
Fourteen (14) Louisiana advocacy organizations just lately despatched correspondence to Landry requesting that the EO be revised to particularly designate an Election Emergency and to order that “the upcoming election be carried out with hand-marked paper ballots, counted by scanners or by hand on the precinct degree.”
The 2024 elections – not solely in Louisiana however nationally- are weak to doubtlessly catastrophic cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity specialists have warned that this election faces an elevated threat of an unprecedented occasion.
Voting specialists warn of ‘critical threats’ for 2024 from election gear software program breaches | PBS Information. It’s incumbent upon each state to have a workable contingency plan in place to function with out energy and/or with out entry to a computerized voting system.
Something much less is a dereliction of public obligation. It ought to come as a shock to no one at this level that digital voting programs could be remotely hacked, votes could be altered, and knowledge could be manipulated whether or not or not the programs are linked to the web. The Fantasy of the Hacker-Proof Voting Machine – The New York Occasions (nytimes.com)
As just lately as January, Alex J Halderman, the world’s foremost cybersecurity knowledgeable, was in a position to hack right into a voting machine inside minutes in a federal courtroom in Georgia, utilizing nothing however an ink pen.
Laptop knowledgeable hacks Dominion Voting Machine in entrance of decide, adjustments votes with Bic pen – WDBO
Haldermanhttps://collaborate.princeton.edu/en/publications/ballot-marking-devices-cannot-ensure-the-will-of-the-voters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKf10TuR0QQ&t=32s and full audit functionality. Different outstanding specialists like Andrew Appel, Richard Demillo, and Philip Stark say the identical.
Add to this the very actual risk of a cyber-attack that might disable the system completely, and the significance of a safe, hand-marked paper poll again up turns into much more obvious. And implementing such a system will not be onerous.
Engaged, sensible Louisiana residents have been learning the State election system and people in different states and have already carried out many public hand – counting demonstrations.
WATCH:
The answer is easy and easy: use the relevant portion of the present absentee poll system and print extra ballots for in-person voting. There’s ample time to do that.
The counting of ballots could possibly be accomplished with scanners Louisiana already has together with the already confirmed hand-counting course of. This technique is quick, environment friendly, safe, and immune from digital manipulation.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has proactively issued Govt Order 35 (EO 35) requiring “100% paper ballots which offer a bodily report of the voter’s intent.” EO 35 additionally requires using “counting machines, not voting machines…examined prior to each election…”
The counting machines will merely depend paper ballots. Learn EO 35 right here.
President Trump, the Republican Nationwide Committee, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Elon Musk have all strongly advocated for the routine use of hand-marked paper ballots to make sure the accuracy of elections, and to protect in opposition to a debilitating cyberattack.
Louisiana and different States should observe this suggestion. There’s each pressing and compelling cause to take action. Louisiana is at the moment the one State within the Nation that has no paper back-up, and due to this fact, no audit functionality.
Understanding that our vote is safe and precisely displays our intent is prime. It have to be absolutely safeguarded throughout this already declared cybersecurity emergency.
Latest historical past, the clear opinion of the specialists, and the intense threats going ahead demand no much less. We’re hopeful and assured that Governor Landry will rise to this second and pay heed to the request of those that elected him. Time is of the essence.
J. Christopher Alexander Louisiana Citizen Advocacy Group www.lacag.org
