WASHINGTON (Reuters)-
One out of every four registered voters in the United States lives in areas using electronic voting machines that do not generate paper backups in the November presidential election, despite concerns that they are vulnerable to tampering and, according to Reuters analysis.
Lack of paper marks makes it impossible to independently verify the aging touch
Security experts say the screen system is accurate, and within a year Russian suspects of hacking have penetrated into political groups and state voting systems, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying the election could be"
Election officials insist that the machines are reliable, but security experts say they are full of loopholes and security holes that could lead to incorrect voting records.
Reuters analysis of US dataS.
The Census Bureau, the electoral assistance committee and the Verified Voting base oversight team found that 44 million registered voters lived in jurisdictions that relied on paperless systems, accounting for 25% of the total, including millions of disputed states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Since the 2008 presidential election, the situation has gradually improved, when 31% people in the United StatesS.
Voters live in areas that use paperless touchscreen systems.
In 2012, 27% of people lived in jurisdictions using paperless systems.
"Obviously, to ensure that all Americans have access to the voting technology they can trust, we still have a long way to go," said Alex Haldeman of the University of Michigan School of Computer Science --
Professor of Science who helps to discover touch safety defects-screen systems. (
Displays graphics for different types of voting systems across the United StatesS. --tmsnrt. rs/2cZiKQ5)
Most of these machines are close to the end of life expectancy, making them more vulnerable to problems.
Congress has not authorized funds to upgrade since 2002, just after Florida's controversial 2000 presidential recount war highlighted the flaws of the aging shock --card and lever-voting systems.
In some states, differences have arisen between poor areas that continue to use paperless touch
New optical scanning systems have been purchased to handle screen systems for paper ballot papers and rich areas, which many experts believe is a better way to ensure accurate elections.
In Virginia, for example, the county that still uses touch
The poverty rate of the screen system is 23%, while those that have turned to the optical system
The average poverty rate in the scanning system was 11%.
"I was hoping for a new machine, but the county said we don't have the money," said Patsy Burchett, the top election official in rural areas of Lee County, hit hard by the recession in the coal and tobacco industries, it is the poorest county in the state.
"These machines are dying," she said . "U. S.
Election officials already know the shortcomings of touch.
Shortly after its widespread adoption in early 2000, the screen system began, when researchers showed that voting results could be manipulated with simple tools like magnets and Palm Pilots --
Handheld devices.
The systems produced questionable results in some elections.
In Florida, more than 18,000 iVotronic machines did not record a vote in 2006 congressional elections, in which the margin of victory was less than 400.
At a school of 2003 in Virginia's ferfax county, electronic machines subtract one ticket per hundred actors. board race.
More than 4,400 electronic votes were lost in Carteret County, North Carolina, and never recovered in 2004 presidential elections.
Maryland and other states have been in contact since 2008.
Optical Screen Machinescan systems.
Other countries like California and Ohio have added printers to their touch
When Washington and Colorado move to mail, the Screen Machine generates a backup paper trackin ballots.
Absentee voting also reduces the use of paperless systems.
For example, in 2012, one out of about 10 voters living in areas using paperless systems voted in absentia.
Election officials say,
Thanks to extensive testing and better polls, screen machines that are still in use today are safer than they were a decade ago, whether or not they have printers installedTraining of workers.
They say the hacking incident is unlikely to happen because the machine is not connected to the Internet.
Matthew Masterson said: "Voters should have confidence in any system used within their jurisdiction, because election officials have taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety of these systems, and make sure that an American CommissionerS.
Electoral Assistance Committee.
Although no major events in the United States have been confirmed so farS.
Security experts say those who aim to manipulate votes may spread the virus through memory cards without the need for an Internet connection.
The best way to stop this is to switch to paper
System-based, they say.
55% of the population in the United StatesS.
According to Reuters, registered voters living in areas that no longer produce systems, election officials must rely on a reduced supply of spare parts.
Virginia Beach in Virginia, for example, is on its 820 tsvote TSX touch-
In 2014 of the elections, residents complained that the machines were registering votes for candidates they did not support.
Since then, the city has purchased a new optical device. scan system.
Due to the lack of new federal funds, some states have chosen to upgrade themselves.
Louis Anna plans to switch to iPad
In 2019, Austin, Los Angeles and Texas began designing systems from scratch.
Others think there is no reason to switch.
In Georgia, Secretary of State Brian Kemp said he did not ask the State Council for money to replace the paperless AccuVote TS touch-Screen Machine.
"It works very well, all of which are good --
"The experts who have made these allegations against our system have not yet seen them," he said . ".