Elections aren't unhackable 

I have had a hard time comprehending that there is something wrong with wanting, even demanding, that elections be transparent and open for examination. We as taxpayers purchased the equipment, we pay for the office space, we pay the people who work in those spaces. As taxpayers, we certainly should have access to every aspect of the election process.

Let's be honest, there is a plethora of ways to cheat in an election. Cheating happens at all levels. What makes us think that it doesn't happen in our elections? A mother in Pensacola, Florida, hacked the school computers to change the votes so that her daughter would win homecoming queen. What we have at stake is far greater than a high school prom. Let's not be so naive to think that cheating never happens or that our election process is free from tampering.

An article written by Alfred Ng on Feb. 18, 2020, explained how an up-and-coming product, made by Microsoft named ElectionGuard, was addressing the crucial concern in U.S. democracy: the integrity of the vote. The article stated, "With ElectionGuard, Microsoft isn't setting out to create an unhackable vote—no one thinks that possible—but rather a vote in which hacks would be quickly noticed."

In 2017, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) voiced her concerns stating, "Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. It is clear that a foreign adversary attempted to undermine our election, and now we are learning that as many as 39 states may have been hit by Russian hackers."

In "Electoral System in Crisis," written on July 25, 2016, "The portrait of an electoral system in crisis is further supported by reports from election integrity organizations, media outlets, and individuals on social media that voting is increasingly taking place in a corrupt environment. This contextual evidence of voters purged from the rolls, registrations lost in the mail, party registrations being changed without a voter's knowledge or intent, voters being sent incorrect ballots, a shortage of ballots, polling places being closed, discouragingly long lines in targeted precincts and states, and disturbingly large disparities between initial exit polls and official results, lends credence to the argument that if one form of fraud is already in play, another form of fraud is more plausible."

Voter integrity is a dynamic and complex issue, but if we are to have confidence in the votes we cast, then this issue must be addressed. I applaud our three Board of Supervisors members who were willing to acknowledge the issue of election integrity.

It is time to be good stewards of our voting process. It is time for us to face the possibility of election interference and fraud. Let's not be afraid to take a closer look behind the curtain. We as taxpayers deserve complete transparency. Δ

Hollye Parsley wrote to New Times from Atascadero. Send a response for publication to [email protected].