Our Elections Are At Risk!
By Mike Hersh for Donna, Mike F., Amos, Janis, Deb, Bryan, Kim, Dan, Judy, Dr. Bill and the rest of the PDA team
Tell Your Rep. to Cosponsor the
Securing America’s Elections Act
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) was founded in 2004 to make progress on critically important issues including guaranteeing Voter Access Protection and Election Integrity. Join us now organizing to protect US Elections from hacking or other interference with the Securing America’s Elections Act—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s new legislation.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard at the Capitol
Tell Congress We Need The Securing America’s Elections Act
Background: Last week, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) introduced the Securing America’s Elections Act to protect the country’s election infrastructure from cyber-hackers by requiring the use of voter-verified paper ballots or a paper ballot backup in federal elections.
It authorizes emergency funding to empower every state to use voter-verified paper ballots that produce an auditable paper trail, beginning with the 2018 elections. It also addresses the need to ensure safe and secure software is utilized in voting machines on Election Day.
The Securing America’s Elections Act expands on progress made in Hawai‘i and 14 other states that currently produce voter-verified paper ballots to provide the American people with a secure, reliable, and independent record of their votes.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 21 U.S. states’ electoral systemsfaced attempted hacking in the 2016 election. Shortly after, at the world’s longest-running and largest hacking conference, DEFCON revealed startling cyber vulnerabilities in US election infrastructure: hackers easily breached every piece of election equipment, some in mere minutes.
Click here to tell your Congress person to cosponsor the Securing America’s Elections Act.
Participants with limited prior hacking knowledge and few tools and resources were able to undermine and manipulate the privacy, integrity, and accessibility of election equipment—most of which is still widely used in state and local elections today.
Following these revelations from DEFCON, states like Virginia took action and switched to a voter-verified paper ballot system in their 2017 election to ensure voter integrity and confidence in their elections infrastructure. They produced the highest voter turnout in two decades. However, serious vulnerabilities remain in most states.
Take action now! Tell Your Congress person to Cosponsor the Securing America’s Elections Act.
In solidarity,
Mike Hersh for Donna, Mike F., Amos, Janis, Deb, Bryan, Kim, Dan, Judy, Dr. Bill and the rest of the PDA team
P.S. You can read the Text of the Legislation (PDF) here.
Contribute as much as you can to help us continue our work right now! We don’t have billionaire dark money donors. We depend upon you to keep the lights on, and the fires burning. Can’t give money at the moment? We understand. We need your expertise and effort too!
Join the National Phone Team making easy calls from your home, like we did to Alabama to defeat right wing extremist Roy Moore. Contact mikefox@pdamerica.org.
Get active with your local PDA chapter. Contact dan@pdamerica.org.
Join the Educate Congress Letter Drop Team. Contact judy@pdamerica.org.
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