In the wake of heightened scrutiny on the reliability of electronic voting machines, a grassroots organization in Arkansas, the Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative, Inc. (AVII), is standing firm in its mission. Despite facing opposition from establishment political class, AVII continues to shed light on the perils of using electronic voting systems in the state.
The non-profit organization is dedicated to informing voters about the insecurities associated with the use of computerized systems in Arkansas elections. They propose a “high tech” hand-marked paper ballot that is hand counted as a secure solution. Yet, instead of being applauded for their pioneering efforts, AVII has been met with stiff resistance by numerous officials including the Secretary of State’s office, the State Board of Election Commissioners, and various state and local officials. Even the Association of Arkansas Counties has joined the ranks of those criticizing the initiative.
The opposition took an institutional form when Senator Kim Hammer led the passage of Senate Bill 250 (SB250), a bill intended to penalize counties that dared to replace machines with paper ballots. Relying on a narrative proclaiming the “safety and security” of the voting machines, these officials have used propaganda and talking points to discredit AVII’s message. This was evident in a recent Garland County town hall meeting where the Election Commissioner presented a slide show promoting the use of voting machines and discrediting paper ballots. The meeting did not allow for an opposing view, reinforcing the skewed narrative that voting machines are infallible.
However, this illusion of security was shattered with the recent unsealing of a “confidential report” in a Georgia lawsuit. The report, prepared by University of Michigan computer scientist J. Alex Halderman, laid bare the vulnerabilities of the Dominion ImageCast X voting machines. Halderman spent 12 weeks examining these machines, which are used not only in Georgia, but also in parts of 16 other states. While his report specifically analyzed Dominion machines, the concerns raised are applicable to all voting machines, including the ES&S machines used in Arkansas.
The study found that these machines can be hacked in multiple ways. For instance, by exploiting a “Zip Slip” vulnerability, an attacker can install malicious code that executes with root privilege when the machine loads the election definition from a USB stick. This code can change the election outcome without detection. The machines do not appropriately limit what kinds of USB devices can be plugged in, allowing anyone to attach a keyboard, press alt+tab to access Android settings, then open a root shell or install arbitrary software.
A particularly concerning aspect highlighted by Halderman’s report is the use of barcodes (also known as QR codes) on the ballots. The votes counted by the computer scanners come entirely from data in these barcodes. Hence, an attacker can change votes by altering the data in the barcodes, and voters have no way to detect the change since they can’t read the QR codes. This, coupled with weak audit requirements in many states, allows for an undetectable change in an election outcome.
Halderman’s report concludes that hand-marked paper ballots that are both electronically counted and hand audited provide the necessary transparency and security for elections. This conclusion vindicates AVII’s assertions that we must replace voting computers with non-hackable paper ballots, which are hand counted before final certification.
The revelations in the report call into question the motives of those who have vehemently discredited AVII’s message. Armed with this new and irrefutable evidence, it is incumbent upon us to demand the immediate discontinuation of electronic voting machines in Arkansas and move to a secure hand-marked voting system.
Source: Freedom to tinker
