New reporting and extra proof increase questions on ways used to advertise web voting legal guidelines
ANCHORAGE, AK — Anchorage election officers have pushed again towards what they describe as “false and deceptive” claims concerning the metropolis’s use of cellular voting know-how, escalating considerations a few broader nationwide marketing campaign to increase web voting techniques.
In a current report by the Anchorage Every day Information, municipal officers confirmed they issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Cellular Voting Undertaking and its founder, Bradley Tusk, after the group repeatedly and falsely claimed Anchorage would implement Tusk’s know-how in its election system.
The letter acknowledged that Cellular Voting Undertaking and Tusk’s public statements, “convey a transparent message that the Municipality of Anchorage not solely endorses the Cellular Voting Undertaking however makes use of your VoteSecure software program to conduct its elections. That is unequivocally false.”
The controversy stems partially from a high-profile New York Instances article that portrayed Anchorage as a number one instance of cellular voting adoption, and that claimed that Anchorage would make use of software program developed by the Cellular Voting Undertaking. Native officers shortly disputed that characterization, clarifying that solely a small variety of voters use a restricted digital poll return system.
Extra reporting and supply supplies point out that the Anchorage incident could also be a part of a broader, aggressive effort to advance web voting laws nationwide.
In keeping with supplies obtained by advocates and journalists:
Tusk has promoted claims that Anchorage would use his cellular voting know-how, regardless of native officers publicly rejecting that assertion
The Cellular Voting Undertaking continued to repeat these claims even after being corrected, prompting formal authorized motion from the municipality
Tusk has backed legislative efforts throughout a number of states to increase web voting, regardless of widespread opposition from cybersecurity consultants
Cybersecurity consultants have lengthy warned that web voting introduces vital dangers that can’t at present be mitigated, significantly in public elections.
“Tusk and Cellular Voting Undertaking are aggressively selling laws in state homes all throughout the nation that will introduce and increase using insecure and untrustworthy on-line voting, with specious and deceptive claims,” stated Susan Greenhalgh, senior advisor for election safety at Free Speech For Folks. “The occasion in Anchorage simply illustrates their willingness to stretch the reality to be able to advance Tusk’s private pet challenge, regardless of the risks it presents to our elections.”
The Anchorage dispute highlights a broader nationwide debate over the way forward for voting know-how and the dangers of misinformation in election administration.
As legislative efforts to increase cellular voting proceed throughout the nation, advocates and election officers alike are calling for larger scrutiny of the claims used to advertise such techniques.
