Wyden asks Oregon to ban insecure mobile voting apps
Also wants counties warned about other forms of risky internet voting
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has asked Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno to warn counties about the security risks posed by mobile voting apps and other forms of internet voting.
“We share a common goal of making it easier for Oregonians serving in the military or otherwise living overseas to vote," Wyden said in a letter to Clarno on Thursday.
"I look forward to working with you to explore ways to do so, including, if appropriate, introducing federal legislation to provide states with additional resources. However, the security and integrity of Oregon’s elections must always come first,” Wyden added.
Election security experts have universally warned against submitting ballots over the internet, because of the risk votes could be intercepted or changed.
“Russia’s 2016 campaign to meddle in our elections, demonstrated the urgency of states doing everything in their power to secure Americans’ votes from hacking. Continuing to permit the use of internet voting — against the advice of cybersecurity experts — is simply asking for trouble,” Wyden wrote.
Wyden praised the work of county clerks and election officers, and urged the state and federal government to provide local officials with the information needed to secure the votes of Oregonians overseas.
