THE SECURITY CONCERNS ARE NOT CONSPIRACY THEORY

Election technology security is a legitimate field of cybersecurity research.

University of Michigan computer-science professor J. Alex Halderman, one of North America's leading election-security researchers, has repeatedly demonstrated vulnerabilities in electronic voting technologies.

In research described by the University of Michigan, Halderman's teams successfully compromised voting systems in controlled settings and demonstrated that computer-based election technology can contain serious vulnerabilities. In one famous test involving Washington, D.C.'s proposed internet voting system, his team penetrated the test system and altered votes. Officials subsequently abandoned the online-voting proposal.

But there is an extremely important distinction.

Halderman himself warns that:

the existence of a vulnerability does not prove that somebody exploited it in a real election.

His 2024 follow-up specifically rejected claims that technical vulnerabilities proved the 2020 U.S. presidential election had been stolen.

That distinction matters.

I am not claiming that evidence currently proves the 2022 Kawartha Lakes election, the 2025 Ward 5 by-election, or another Ontario municipal election was electronically altered.

I am saying something much more defensible:

The vulnerabilities and risks are real enough that voters should not be forced to rely exclusively upon an electronic ballot.

And Halderman's own recommendation is remarkably straightforward:

Use a hand-marked paper ballot where one is available, and conduct meaningful post-election audits.

That should get Ontario's attention.

"If physical, auditable paper ballots are considered appropriate for choosing Canada's Parliament and Ontario's Legislature, why should municipal voters not be entitled to the same tangible, independently recountable record?"

Steve Lesperance

Candidate for Councillor — Ward 8

City of Kawartha Lakes

SteveLesperance.com

www.facebook.com/VoteSteveLesperance

LINK:

Hacking the Vote: It’s Easier Than You Think

Alex Halderman has made a career studying electronic voting security.