South Carolina has one of the most vulnerable election security systems in the country.The state is on Tier 1, the worst of the worst, in a report out this month from the Committee on House Administration. Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey and Delaware are the other states considered to have the most serious election security vulnerabilities. The states all rely on electronic voting machines without paper records. “It is nearly impossible to determine if paperless voting machines have been hacked and if vote tallies have been altered,” the report reads. South Carolina officials can’t audit results after elections against paper receipts. 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Jason Elliott. It’s an issue a group of South Carolina voters are suing over. The lawsuit filed July 10 names Marci Andino, the executive director of the State Election Commission, along with other members of the commission. “Flaws in the iVotronic’s hardware (the machines themselves) and software (the programs running on the machines) create the kind of vulnerability that sophisticated hackers could not only exploit, but exploit in a manner that would cause widespread disruption,” the lawsuit reads. “They produce no record of voter intent apart from the data contained within the system. In the event of a suspected cyberattack—or even a malfunction—the only reference points against which to check the ostensible election results are other components of that same potentially compromised computer system.” 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Federal data shows the state requested more than $6 million to upgrade the system. That request was approved June 26, but the House report says “it will cost the state nearly $50 million to replace its voting machines.” The South Carolina request was in line with Louisiana’s $5.9 million request and less than the $10.3 million Georgia requested. North Carolina is not considered a vulnerable state. Officials there also requested $10.3 million. California, also not considered a vulnerable state, requested the most at $34.6 million. The request is nearly 10 percent of the $380 million requested across the country. 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It ranks right up there in what state government should be doing.” South Carolina lawmakers approved two items in the budget that will go toward the voting system. One was for $4 million to go toward refreshing the current system in place. The other was a recurring $4 million payment to go toward replacing the voting system. That’s not enough to move forward with any major overhaul, however. “In the meantime, the SEC is taking every step it can in anticipation of a procurement process in 2019,” said South Carolina State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire. Elliot believes there is urgency in coming up with a fix. “It is something that needs to be addressed in the coming several years, not five or 10 years down the road,” he said. An accountability report filed in 2017 says the system in place cost $34.6 million to implement from 2004 to 2005. It has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. “The agency anticipates purchasing a new system in approximately 3-4 years,” the report reads. “New voting systems would include a paper record of each vote and enhanced security features.” While that’s the plan, the report comes with a warning. “If funding is not provided, the current voting system could experience a higher failure rate and public trust in the election process will decline,” it reads. The report notes instances of funding requests for the 2017-18 budget that state lawmakers denied. It asked for $370,000 for voter registration system and election infrastructure security and $7.5 million to extend the life of the current system five years. Neither made it into that budget. 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Whitmire said based on the information available now, an issue in Greenville County was human error. There was a delay the night of the primary in tabulating votes. “It was limited to one polling place and was resolved the day after the election,” Whitmire said. “While the voting system is nearing the end of its useful life, we still have confidence that the system will continue to perform as expected in November.” Elliot said the system works well enough for what it is. “There’s no question we need to work quickly to the latest and best technology in our voting machines that would be on guard for cyber attack, hacking, and also accurately count the votes our citizens make,” he said. He believes most members of the state’s general assembly would support a change.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina has one of the most vulnerable election security systems in the country.
The state is on Tier 1, the worst of the worst, in a report out this month from the Committee on House Administration.
Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey and Delaware are the other states considered to have the most serious election security vulnerabilities.
The states all rely on electronic voting machines without paper records.
“It is nearly impossible to determine if paperless voting machines have been hacked and if vote tallies have been altered,” the report reads.
South Carolina officials can’t audit results after elections against paper receipts.
“It would be something that needs to be included in a new voting system,” said Greenville Rep. Jason Elliott.
It’s an issue a group of South Carolina voters are suing over.
The lawsuit filed July 10 names Marci Andino, the executive director of the State Election Commission, along with other members of the commission.
“Flaws in the iVotronic’s hardware (the machines themselves) and software (the programs running on the machines) create the kind of vulnerability that sophisticated hackers could not only exploit, but exploit in a manner that would cause widespread disruption,” the lawsuit reads.
“They produce no record of voter intent apart from the data contained within the system. In the event of a suspected cyberattack—or even a malfunction—the only reference points against which to check the ostensible election results are other components of that same potentially compromised computer system.”
Federal data shows the state requested more than $6 million to upgrade the system. That request was approved June 26, but the House report says “it will cost the state nearly $50 million to replace its voting machines.”
The South Carolina request was in line with Louisiana’s $5.9 million request and less than the $10.3 million Georgia requested.
North Carolina is not considered a vulnerable state. Officials there also requested $10.3 million.
California, also not considered a vulnerable state, requested the most at $34.6 million. The request is nearly 10 percent of the $380 million requested across the country.
“There’s no doubt that our voting machines as a whole across the state need to be replaced,” Elliot said. “The security and integrity of the voting system and individual votes is of ultimate importance. It ranks right up there in what state government should be doing.”
South Carolina lawmakers approved two items in the budget that will go toward the voting system.
One was for $4 million to go toward refreshing the current system in place. The other was a recurring $4 million payment to go toward replacing the voting system.
That’s not enough to move forward with any major overhaul, however.
“In the meantime, the SEC is taking every step it can in anticipation of a procurement process in 2019,” said South Carolina State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire.
Elliot believes there is urgency in coming up with a fix.
“It is something that needs to be addressed in the coming several years, not five or 10 years down the road,” he said.
An accountability report filed in 2017 says the system in place cost $34.6 million to implement from 2004 to 2005. It has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.
“The agency anticipates purchasing a new system in approximately 3-4 years,” the report reads. “New voting systems would include a paper record of each vote and enhanced security features.”
While that’s the plan, the report comes with a warning.
“If funding is not provided, the current voting system could experience a higher failure rate and public trust in the election process will decline,” it reads.
The report notes instances of funding requests for the 2017-18 budget that state lawmakers denied. It asked for $370,000 for voter registration system and election infrastructure security and $7.5 million to extend the life of the current system five years. Neither made it into that budget.
The SEC believes the system performed as expected in June.
Whitmire said based on the information available now, an issue in Greenville County was human error. There was a delay the night of the primary in tabulating votes.
“It was limited to one polling place and was resolved the day after the election,” Whitmire said.
“While the voting system is nearing the end of its useful life, we still have confidence that the system will continue to perform as expected in November.”
Elliot said the system works well enough for what it is.
“There’s no question we need to work quickly to the latest and best technology in our voting machines that would be on guard for cyber attack, hacking, and also accurately count the votes our citizens make,” he said.
He believes most members of the state’s general assembly would support a change.