Inside the Multimillion-Dollar Plan to Make Mobile Voting Happen

Summary:

Mobile voting allows casting ballots via smartphones or web apps, backed by over $50 million in funding from groups like Tusk Philanthropies and MITRE. Proponents argue it increases accessibility for military personnel, disabled voters, and overseas citizens. Critics warn that current systems – even blockchain-based platforms like Voatz – remain vulnerable to hacking, verification issues, and infrastructure failures. Testing remains limited to small-scale pilots in states like West Virginia and Utah.

What This Means for You:

• Impact: Untested systems could compromise vote anonymity or enable election interference
• Fix: Verify if your state offers absentee/mail ballots instead of experimental mobile voting
• Security: Never use public Wi-Fi for voting apps
• Warning: Researchers demonstrated how Voatz servers could be spoofed in 2020

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Solutions:

Solution 1: Federally Certified Security Standards

No national framework exists for auditing mobile voting tech. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) could mandate:

• End-to-end encryption compliance
• Open-source code for public review
• Paper ballot backups for audits

EAC Commissioners: Push for H.R.1 Amendment SEC. 8036 (Mobile Voting Security Act)

Solution 2: Military/Overseas-First Rollout

Restrict early adoption to high-need groups like deployed troops. Delaware’s 2022 pilot used blockchain tech for military voters while maintaining:

• Biometric verification (facial recognition)
• Zero-knowledge proof protocols
• Offline secure elements in devices

Election Officials: Partner with Department of Defense on Verified.Access military IDs

Solution 3: Zero-Trust Architecture Models

Assumes networks are already compromised. Requires:

• Hardware-based device attestation
• Behavioral anomaly detection (e.g., detecting bot votes)
• Air-gapped ballot decryption servers

Developers: Implement NIST SP 800-207 standards

Solution 4: Cross-Platform Verification Tools

Voters could receive unique tracking numbers to confirm ballot receipt/counting via:

• Secure SMS
• DQ-encoded paper receipts
• Blockchain explorers (public ledger view)

Voters: Use BallotTrax (ballottrax.org) where available

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People Also Ask:

• Q: Is mobile voting currently secure? A: Not for mass adoption – DARPA found votes could be altered mid-transmission
• Q: Which states allow mobile voting? A: Limited pilots in Utah, Washington, & Colorado for overseas/military voters only
• Q: What are the biggest risks? A: Device malware, server breaches, and lack of recount capabilities
• Q: How can I verify my mobile vote? A: Use systems with verifiable paper trails – digital-only is untrustworthy

Protect Yourself:

• Only use apps from official .gov sites – fake voting apps spiked 300% in 2022 (Lookout)
• Enable automatic OS updates before election days
• Report suspicious voting links to CISA (report@cisa.gov)
• Confirm ballot acceptance with local election offices

Expert Take:

“Mobile voting is like email in 1993 – promising but not yet secure enough for democracy. The focus must be on verifiability before scalability.” – Dr. Duncan Buell, NSF Cybersecurity for Elections Lead

Tags:

• mobile voting security risks
• blockchain-based voting apps
• military absentee mobile voting
• election cybersecurity standards
• Voatz voting app controversies
• paper ballot backup solutions

*Featured image via source