(November 2020)

These “black boxes” have required both election officials and the public to take on faith that the machines are programmed to capture voter intent, not subvert it. When researchers have attempted to examine the computer code, they have been threatened with lawsuits by the election vendors. (…)

These include machines that can be reprogrammed remotely or in person by surreptitiously (and easily) inserting fraudulent media cards or thumb drives, as researchers have shown over and over again.

Meanwhile, despite claims to the contrary by election vendors, it’s been demonstrated that ballot scanners in precincts in the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Florida use wireless modems that connect to the Internet. (…)

These vulnerabilities—and others—inject doubt into the public’s perception of election integrity. That doubt is compounded by the fact that the three major election vendors in the United States—Election Systems and Software, Hart InterCivic, and Dominion—are owned by private equity. Together, they account for about 80 percent of all election equipment used in the United States.