February 7, 2020 3:20 a.m.
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has asked Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno to warn the state’s counties about the security risks posed by mobile voting apps and other forms of internet voting.
In a letter sent on Thursday, Wyden said he and Clarno share the common goal of making it easier for Oregonians who serve in the military or are otherwise living overseas to vote. He said however that the security and integrity of Oregon’s elections must always come first.
A release from Wyden said election security experts have universally warned against submitting ballots over the internet, because of the risk votes could be intercepted or changed.
Wyden said that “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”. He said that continuing to permit the use of internet voting, against the advice of cybersecurity experts, “is simply asking for trouble”.
The release said 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.