SAVE Bucks Votes for Secure, Accurate, Verifiable Elections
What the Experts Say
In the News
The warnings about the insecurity of our voting systems have been sounded for over a decade by many election integrity experts. Now, the risks to America’s elections, and in particular those conducted in Pennsylvania, have become a huge topic in the news, and those warnings are finally sinking in. Headlines broadcast fears of Russian interference in our elections, hacking conventions demonstrate for everyone the extreme vulnerability of our voting machines, and public confidence in the validity of election results is being severely tested.
What can be done to make sure our elections are as secure as possible?
The answer is nearly unanimous among computer scientists, election integrity and cybersecurity experts, across all political affiliations. They agree that to conduct the most secure and accurate elections possible at this time, these GOLD STANDARD conditions must be in place:
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All elections must use voter-verified (hand-marked strongly preferred), paper-ballot voting systems.
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A post-election risk-limiting audit must be performed every time.
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Secure voter registration systems and voter databases against hacking attacks.
Every day, excellent articles are published that reiterate this message. We recommend these sites if you’d like to stay on top of what’s being said and done, and check our Facebook page often for timely news.
On this page, we offer a sampling of some great articles and reports to read, and videos to watch, with short descriptions below.
VOTING SYSTEM NEWS
Prof. Wenke Lee lays out concise arguments agreed upon by majority of cybersecurity and computer experts.
Computer expert Prof. Andrew Appel's blog that spells out the argument clearly.
Letter written to election and state officials by Prof. Richard M. Stark, inventor of the risk-limiting audit for elections.
Evidence that paper ballots are safe only if marked by hand, not by machine, especially when using new "hybrid" BMDs for all voters.
Closer scrutiny about vulnerabilities for BMDs, especially when used by all voters.
Paper studying the difficulty for voters to accurately verify ballot summaries produced on ballot-marking devices (BMDs)
Experts' research paper explains the problems with BMDs-for-all voting systems that can't be corrected even with risk-limiting audits.
Advice from cybersecurity experts nationwide for Georgia's SAFE Commission that sums up everything all election officials and citizens need to know before upgrading their new voting systems.
Philadelphia Inquirer article specifically outlining PA's serious voting system problems. You'll recognize our Danaher machine in the first picture. A must-read.
Excellent synopsis of our problems by Marian Schneider, an expert in PA elections and current president of Verified Voting. Based on very recent report that details security issues, counter-arguments against misinformed excuses from election officials, and funding challenges particular to PA elections.
Recommendations from 100 experts to Congress, great links to more in-depth information.
Report from nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice.
by Larry Norden, deputy director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice
Excellent explanation of our issue, from security problems to what can be done to make our elections safe and accurate.
Barbara Simons believes there is only one safe voting technology.
Highlights the importance of conducting risk-limiting audits with the voter-marked, paper ballot systems.
A Progress Update on Reinforcing American Voting Systems
Pennsylvania needs to learn the same lessons.
Bucks County is mentioned here, and not in a good way.
Describing some more of our challenges to getting a new voting system.
Discusses how voting systems not connected to the internet can be compromised, and other security concerns.
Older article, but gives analysis of what's wrong in our state.