Communications of the ACM
'Most Secure' U.S. Election Not Without Problems
Alleged software glitches caused mistakes in vote tabulation for both presidential and local races in certain counties.
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Although federal officials declared the 2020 presidential election the "most secure in American history," there were still technical problems.
Alleged software glitches caused mistakes in vote tabulation for both presidential and local races in certain counties, while some communities suffered temporary miscounts due to clerical errors.
Threats of foreign interference appear to have been countered by greater vigilance and stronger cyberdefenses by watchdogs like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and multi-stakeholder collaboration and information sharing.
However, disinformation and misinformation have continued to fuel polarization of the electorate.
Former ACM president Barbara Simons urges greater transparency and committed investment in auditable voting and vote-tabulating machinery as top priorities, along with curtailing the use of paperless voting machines.
From Government Technology
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Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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