New study finds states need more funding to protect elections, funding McConnell won't allow

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/7/22/1873076/-New-study-finds-states-need-more-funding-to-protect-elections-funding-McConnell-won-t-allow

New study finds states need more funding to protect elections, funding McConnell won't allow
Joan McCarter for Daily Kos
Daily Kos Staff
Monday July 22, 2019 · 9:10 AM EDT


A report released last week from the Brennan Center for Justice, the R Street Institute, the University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, and the Alliance for Securing Democracy sounds an alarm about the urgent need for federal funding to secure state elections systems ahead of the 2020 election.

Choosing Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania as key states representing different regions, with varied population sizes to extrapolate from, the authors find that federal intervention is critical. "Elections are the pillar of American democracy, and, as we saw in 2016 and 2018, foreign governments will continue to target them," the authors write. "States cannot counter these adversaries alone, nor should they have to. But at a time when free and fair elections are increasingly under attack, they can, with additional federal funding, safeguard them." They say that while they "have limited their review to a sampling of six states, it is clear that the other 44 states and the District of Columbia have similar unfunded needs."

Four of the states said they need funding to replace old equipment that's vulnerable to cyber attacks, while several others require funds for training election officials in cybersecurity. Oklahoma needs funding for post-election audits to make sure their tallies are correct, and Pennsylvania identified a need for regular assessments of the security of its counties' systems.

In 2018, Congress passed $380 million in grants through Help America Vote Act funding specifically for election security. The Elections Assistance Commission has estimated that 85% of these funds will be spent ahead of the 2020 election "to strengthen election cybersecurity, purchase new voting equipment, and improve postelection audits," but this study's authors find that it's not stretching to the full need just in the six states they surveyed.

"Unfortunately, given the myriad security challenges faced by these states, the $380 million is not enough to address the needs of state and local offices," they write, and "many have substantial election security needs that likely will not be met absent additional federal support."

That federal support is only going to happen if Mitch McConnell lets it. He's blocked a very significant elections protection bill this year, and has made it clear that he won't let one through.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Moscow Mitch depends on election fraud

Paper ballots, counted by people around a table, with cameras rolling, will eliminate cyber attacks completely. The rest of the chain is of less importance then.

Electronic voting and electronic tallies are inherently vulnerable.

[ElementaryPenguin]

2. The 2016 Exit Poll discrepancies are evidence Russia hacked at county level

And changed vote totals for Trump in key swing states. The Russia weren't content with an influence campaign (Trump was still losing) Trump became president only because Russian hackers changed the vote totals. There was also a down ballot effect - and McConnell was able to remain Senate Majority Leader only because of Russian hacking also. They are tied to the hip - and partners. Russia, Trump, & the GOP leadership.

Makes you wonder why those 10 GOP senators visited Moscow last year - paying a friendly visit to a foreign adversary who we had just proven had interfered in our elections and we're being sanctioned for it.

What was the stated purpose of that trip? Funny, I never heard that any purpose was ever revealed.