The former head of the Department of Homeland Security said the potential for a massive critical infrastructure or election database breach on Election Day is high and that people are better off voting by mail.
“The one thing about mail is this: You can’t hack a letter,” said Michael Chertoff, who worked in the George W. Bush administration. “It’s cumbersome. It may turn out [that] encouraging widespread voting by mail is actually one of the stepping stones in securing our electoral process.”
Chertoff said he was concerned about the potential for a foreign enemy (such as China or Russia) to shut down critical infrastructure, including the power grid, transportation systems, or telecommunications networks, in an attempt to interfere with the U.S. democratic process. While Chertoff said cities and states should consider reducing electricity use and other utilities on Election Day, he said the best way to avoid mishaps at the voting booth was to make one’s selections on paper.
“It also means we have to have a plan for what do we do if, in fact, there is interference with voting. And we either have to extend the voting hours or do something that would substitute for it,” said Chertoff, who co-founded the Chertoff Group, a Washington-based cybersecurity firm.
President Trump has criticized mail-in voting, claiming it is riddled with fraud and is not secure. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, a supporter of the Trump administration, agreed with the president during a June congressional hearing, calling it a “real threat to the integrity of our elections” because ballots can be mailed to the wrong address and may get intercepted and because voters could be influenced by others.
Not all states have mail-in ballot initiatives ready to go. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued states to force them to put programs into place ahead of the election so that voters have the option should the coronavirus pandemic still be a widespread health concern.
