Russia Doesn't Need to Change Votes -- Just Sow Confusion!

[FM123]

Two states left nearly 200,000 people off voter rolls earlier this year, leading to confusion and anger when those people tried to cast a ballot in the primaries. Election security experts fear it could happen again in November. While the problems stemmed mainly from computer glitches and human error, the chances of a repeat could be even greater if foreign adversaries, like the Russian government, successfully hack voter registration information.

The confusion in primary elections in Maryland and California illustrated that Russia wouldn’t need to change votes to disrupt America’s electoral process, said Maurice Turner, a senior technologist at the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington, D.C. Simply changing voter registration information or spreading disinformation about voting places and times could be catastrophic, he said.

(Snip)

To sow confusion in the fall, Russia could hack voter registration systems, altering names, addresses or party affiliations, said Jonathan Brater, a counsel at the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice.

“If there is some sort of successful effort, the consequences could be significant on Election Day,” Brater said. “Incorrect information leads to long lines, which could mean they leave and give up on voting.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russia-doesnt-need-to-change-votes-just-sow-confusion_us_5b6c4496e4b027b231c4fdbf

[triron]

1. Still election altering.

[FM123]

2. Yep, it sure is.

[triron]

4. This was used in 2016 I am convinced.

[forgotmylogin]

3. Yep. You identify people likely to vote for the other person.

Then goof up their registration a week prior to the election. At best, the voter gets a provisional ballot which can be excluded quite easily.