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A left-leaning watchdog group sued US Election Assistance Commission After illegal secret meetings with voting machine manufacturers, the federal panel has this year over allegations that voting systems have weakened security standards.
The Free Speech For People watchdog group claims that the changes to the standards create a loophole for internet-connected voting machines. commission although it does not meet previous standards.
A 2002 law authorizes the commission to approve and test voting systems that help determine equipment chosen by states and local governments responsible for running elections. In February, commission adopted new guidelines.
Watchdog, commission‘s process violated federal law and urged the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to repeal certain rules that it says Free Speech for People was developed illegally.
The Free Speech For People lawsuit says changes to the standards were advocated in a series of special meetings held weekly between voting machine manufacturers and federal election panel workers last year.
“The inclusion of devices capable of wirelessly connecting voting systems to the internet, even when disabled (as allowed in recent revisions of VVSG 2.0), introduces significant potential vulnerabilities to the security of voting systems because it is complex to reliably, consistently and effectively disable devices and difficult,” says the lawsuit filed Tuesday. “Verifying continued compliance with the wireless deactivation provision will place a burden on the FSFP and the public.”
Free Speech For People says the process to amend federal standards has created an opening for voting machines with wireless modems and radio technologies to receive federal certification.
commission “Brainly breaching its legal obligation to abide by a transparent process, opting instead to invite manufacturers to private meetings so they can modify voting system standards to streamline requirements and benefit manufacturers, at the expense of the most fundamental cybersecurity best practices, Susan Greenhalgh, senior advisor for Free Speech for the People. in his statement.
US Election Assistance Commission did not respond to a request for comment.
Reviews commission‘s cybersecurity-related actions have drawn the attention of policy makers. Rhode Island Democrat Jim Langevin, working with Wisconsin Republican Representative Mike Gallagher earlier this year, included a provision in the Democrats’ election revision law, HR 1, that would force the federal election panel to prioritize cybersecurity. Staff.
The bill passed the House but was stuck in the Senate. Mr. Langevin said if the larger bill fails, he will address election cybersecurity more narrowly.
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