FBI is investigating foreign hacks of state election systems

my county uses paper ballots but you have to put the ballot into a machine that counts the vote and then it automatically shreds the ballot and confetti comes out the back of the machine so there is no paper record of your vote.
That kind of defeats the whole purpose of using paper ballots, in my opinion.

my county uses paper ballots but you have to put the ballot into a machine that counts the vote and then it automatically shreds the ballot and confetti comes out the back of the machine so there is no paper record of your vote.
That kind of defeats the whole purpose of using paper ballots, in my opinion.

my county uses paper ballots but you have to put the ballot into a machine that counts the vote and then it automatically shreds the ballot and confetti comes out the back of the machine so there is no paper record of your vote.
That kind of defeats the whole purpose of using paper ballots, in my opinion.

Sounds like someone is preparing to find out who's voting who and ensure that state goes a certain way..


... kinda like the primaries... against Bernie!

a reply to: Tardacus

Really? I agree. No point to that.

a reply to: jimmyx

NOPE he was FAR to optimistic in his depictions...MORE Rogue Warrior.

a reply to: xuenchen

A report I heard said that the hack was of voter information and could be a first step in identity theft. They did seem to stress that it was not a way to "steal" an election as only a few counties have touch screen voting with no paper backup.
In my district's it's a paper ballot that goes through a scanner. The scanner registers the vote electronically and tallies votes and the paper is a back up in case of mechanical malfunction.
Or need for a recount. I do not know what other districts do.
In N.Y. it was a paper ballot but that was twenty-five years ago.
Anyway this was again voter information address social etc. A pretty good start if you're looking to steal identities. You can even get an average income of an area online so you know what neighborhoods or districts to target in advance.

a reply to: Sillyolme

Steal voter ID to beat the real voter to the polls.

Wild idea to vote ahead of somebody.

a reply to: xuenchen
In most places you do have to show an I.D. to vote but that being said voter fraud is certainly possible however it's ineffective in trying to sway an election. Takes a lot of people all keeping the secret to accomplish.
That and if it was on a large enough scale to effect an election you would have people yelling about their vote being stolen. The real registered voters would be up in arms. It would be discovered within a couple of hours of the polls opening. They would then have to make a voter prove who they are before being allowed to vote.

a reply to: Tardacus

Ours scans the vote but collects the ballots in the machine.
Really shreds it?

originally posted by: Tardacus
my county uses paper ballots but you have to put the ballot into a machine that counts the vote and then it automatically shreds the ballot and confetti comes out the back of the machine so there is no paper record of your vote.
That kind of defeats the whole purpose of using paper ballots, in my opinion.

This site lists types of machines used in the USA. None on here shred a ballot. Are you sure it gets shredded? That just doesn't seem like a smart thing to do.

ballotpedia.org...

This also says it's been six years since a lever system was last used in a US election.

a reply to: Sillyolme
Most of the IT people I've talked with about this hack of voter registration data say it's more likely to do with idenity theft than election theft. They're looking for ways to get money and all the info they need is right there in many cases.
The people who want to hack the actual election don't need the voters' data.

I was waiting for this to start happening, because there has been a lot more foreign involvement in this election than the usual campaign contributions from foreign governments and interests. We are talking about foreign governments, none of whom have America's best interests in mind, now getting involved in the election rigging game. As if it weren't bad enough having to worry about domestic election rigging.

There are more reasons to be very worried about this election, beyond the poor choice of candidates.

a reply to: xuenchen

Stand by the perps to be THE RUSSIANS, agents of the RUSSIANS !!!!!!!!!!!!, The Russian MAFIA, THE BIG BAD HORRIBLE RED COMMIE RUSSIANS, !!!!!!!!!!!

America, has never, ever, in its entire history including the future would NEVER NEVER ever, ever, ever, be guilty of such horror, SIN, of such deeds as interfering in the elections in other countries in order to further and protect American interests would they? Oh no!!.

a reply to: Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

Donald trump is the only one worried about election rigging.
This is about stealing identities. Probably not even for voter fraud. The info in a voter registration includes name, address, social security number, date of birth. You don't need more than that to begin a successful identity theft. .
There are too many voting machines too many districts too many people watching out to effectively execute a rigged election.
It's simply not possible.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: xuenchen

so both Arizona and Illinois experienced cyber attack issues. I wonder if there is a connection here.. why these 2 states? hmm

My guess is that they aren't the only two states...just the ones that have been found.

This is no joke folks....

Multiple security researchers and former FBI officials said the bureau's alert showed signs that investigators may suspect a government-backed hack.

Many worried that meant the intrusions were part of a suspected Russian attempt to meddle in the U.S. election.

"Maybe I can say this," Comey said. "We take very seriously any effort by any actor including nation states, and maybe especially nation states, that moves beyond the collection of information about our country and that offers the prospect of an effort to influence the conduct of affairs in our country."

Election security specialists say hackers with access to voter rolls could alter vote totals by removing people from the registration list.

www.politico.com...

So the strategy would be to remove registered voters from the voter rolls, thus making them ineligible to vote or nullifying their vote if they do.

I get that Trump supporters might not want to hear it...but if the Russians decide in 4 years they want someone else that the GOP doesn't like...you might wake-up.

Whoever the Russians are trying to install...they ARE trying...and that is serious for all of us.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

Donald trump is the only one worried about election rigging.
This is about stealing identities. Probably not even for voter fraud. The info in a voter registration includes name, address, social security number, date of birth.

Nope. Russian hackers have easier targets for identity theft. They can edit the voter rolls...And the voter rolls show party affiliation.

That means showing up on November 8th and being told you are not registered to vote...

OR...Having your ballot discarded on the back end when you appear not be registered.

ALSO...

In his phone call, Johnson encouraged the state officials to comply with federal cyber recommendations, such as making sure electronic voting machines are not connected to the internet while voting is taking place, the department said.

An Electronic Privacy Information Center report this week said 32 of the 50 states would allow voting by insecure email, fax and internet portals in this election cycle.

mobile.reuters.com...

They can fake votes with the info.

Also here

The FBI alert, first reported by Yahoo News, did not mention Russia.

However, the authorities have attributed the attacks to Russian spy agencies, NBC News quoted US intelligence officials as saying.

"This is the closest we've come to tying a recent hack to the Russian government," one unidentified official said, adding "there is serious concern" Moscow may be seeking to create uncertainty in the election process.

www.yahoo.com...

a reply to: Indigo5
I don't know about other states but voters not on the rolls in the precinct in Kentucky can vote in Federal elections with a provisional ballot. The county election board determines whether or not the provisional ballot will be counted. Perhaps the Russians don't know this?
Again, they don't need to go to the trouble of hacking into a database to change the election. It is much easier to rig the machines with the slip of thumb drive.

originally posted by: diggindirt
a reply to: Indigo5
I don't know about other states but voters not on the rolls in the precinct in Kentucky can vote in Federal elections with a provisional ballot. The county election board determines whether or not the provisional ballot will be counted. Perhaps the Russians don't know this?
Again, they don't need to go to the trouble of hacking into a database to change the election. It is much easier to rig the machines with the slip of thumb drive.

Thumb drives requires a lot of risk and a whole lot of man-power...

Provisional ballots are not counted until the voter sees the provisional clerk by a deadline with full ID.

They would not count even then if the voter had been wiped from the voter rolls that the provisional clerk references.

Wiping the voter of one party's registered voters would be a win-win for the Russians.

If they sway the election...great..if they don't..the masses of people turned away at the polls illegitimately will feed into the Russian propaganda that the USA is corrupt and the elections are rigged.