Communications of the ACM
Internet Voting is Not the Solution to the Coronavirus Election Challenge
Internet voting, including through mobile apps, is not a secure solution for voting in the U.S., nor will it be in the foreseeable future.
Credit: GCN.com
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended all aspects of American life and poses an unprecedented challenge to a key pillar of our democracy: free and fair elections.
Voting often requires waiting in line at a polling place, interacting face to face with a poll worker, and handing over a paper ballot — activities that pose both health risks and logistical challenges while social distancing guidelines remain in place. Many states have already taken action to postpone primary voting and are considering ways to reduce crowding at polls, including voting by mail and expanding early voting.
Alarmingly, however, internet voting also is under consideration by some. It shouldn't be.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association for Computing Machinery's U.S. Technology Policy Committee — along with a politically diverse group of leading organizations and renowned experts in cybersecurity and computing — sent an open letter to all governors, secretaries of state and other state election directors urging them not to allow the use of internet or voting app systems.
We did so united in the common conviction that as election officials at the local, state and federal level seek alternate solutions, it is essential that, as with all aspects of pandemic response, they follow the scientific evidence. Regarding internet voting, that evidence is consistent and very clear:
Internet voting, including through mobile apps, is not a secure solution for voting in the United States, nor will it be in the foreseeable future. Period.
From Roll Call
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