Thread by @LuluFriesdat

Thread #FreedomToVoteAct
From a #Security and #Technology POV, there are some excellent points in the new version & some very concerning ones.

BEST SECURITY PROVISION
Preprinted #handmarkedpaperballots are required in the polling place!! This is something many of us fought for

Voting systems that can print on ballots after they are cast are prohibited - but the provision is weak. It can be "through mechanical means or through independently verified protections." I believe that means it is allowed, but you have to check if it's happening. Not great.

The voter's privacy must be maintained. That's great!

Recounts & audits of federal elections must be done by hand - that would be great - except they weaken it by saying, "or at least those ballots the machine could not count" meaning probably just overvotes and undervotes. That's really weak.

There's 1 really concerning provisions. All states must start processing & scanning ballots 2 weeks before the election.
Processing is fine, but once ballots are scanned, the totals are there for those who want to cheat & look at them. #FreedomToVoteAct

The bill says it is can not be construed to permit tabulating and releasing election results before the end of election day, But we know that in the past when ballots have been scanned early, election officials have cheated & looked at the totals.

According to Candice Hoke, Professor of Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and an expert on laws governing election technologies.
“[This well meant provision] ... could … undermine election security. Election officials would likely be subject to great pressure...

...from Party officials to run early AB reports & surreptitiously share them … [The attached Cleveland State University Center for Election Integrity report excerpt] documents the early printing of absentee ballot reports in violation of State law. drive.google.com/file/d/1k6zLOC…

... The report also documents the express promises the Cuyahoga Board of Elections Director (Michael Vu, now in San Diego’s election office) made to a State court and to the SoS that no early tabulations/reports would be generated.”

In other words, election officials will promise that no one is looking at the results early, & then some of them will likely look at the results early. Those who cheat will have an undue advantage & the means to change results if they choose. This will undermine confidence.

There's one other provision that is understandable, but still could have unintended negative consequences.

There is requirement that voting systems allow voters to verify & cast their paper ballot without requiring them to "manually handle the paper ballot".

It's useful for those with manual dexterity issues, but the voting machines that can do this now, are the hybrid voting machines that also pass the ballot back under the print head after it's cast. That is (kind of) prohibited elsewhere in the bill. Confusing.#FreedomToVoteAct