Lulu Friesdat spent decades working on election integrity, co-founding the nonpartisan group Smart Elections. But in 2020, former President Donald J. Trump falsely claimed that electronic voting machines were responsible for rigging the election, leading to doubts about election integrity. Now, Friesdat and other election activists find themselves in an uncomfortable position, as they push for election security while inadvertently amplifying claims made by conspiracy theorists. Misinformation watchdogs warn that these efforts could further erode trust in American elections.
In New York, officials are considering certifying new voting machines made by Election Systems & Software (ES&S), a company targeted by Trump’s voting fraud narrative, but also criticized by election activists and security experts. Good-government groups like Common Cause have campaigned against the machines for years, citing cost and voter line length concerns. Some activists have gone further, echoing claims made by election deniers that the machines can compromise ballots. ES&S has responded that its machines are secure, affordable, and offer valuable voter assistance.
Experts agree that the fear of hacking is the most extreme risk to elections, but there was no evidence of hacking or compromised machines during the 2020 election. Nevertheless, election officials must operate under the assumption that a hack is possible and create transparent processes to detect and address vulnerabilities. Ultimately, New York State Board of Elections Co-Chair Douglas Kellner dismissed claims about potential hacks, comparing them to hypothetical plots to steal gold from the Federal Reserve Bank.
