Michigan Acknowledges 'Nationwide Issue' With Certain Dominion Machines
The Secretary of State for Michigan, Jocelyn Benson, has confirmed that voters who opt for split-ticket voting using Dominion ICX Voter Assist Terminals (VAT) may encounter 'programming issues' on election day. A VAT is a specialized device that allows individuals with disabilities to mark their ballot, which is then printed and tabulated by the machine.
Benson stated that the machine struggles to correctly process certain types of ballots. "This is a nationwide issue with Dominion voter access terminals in the counties that use them," Benson said. "Not all machines, only the ones that are accessible, have an issue with straight-party voting and a programming issue that has affected the machines nationwide."
Voters who choose to use a VAT on Election Day will have to either vote straight-ticket or manually split their ballot. This is different from the usual process in Michigan, where voters have the option to select the straight party option and then override their party selection for certain races. Benson also expressed that this issue has caused frustration among officials in areas where these machines are used.
Colorado Secretary of State's Office Leaked Voting System Passwords
In a separate incident, the Secretary of State's office in Colorado "improperly" posted a spreadsheet on its public website that contained passwords to the state's voting system. The discovery was shared in a mass email by Colorado Republican Party Vice Chair Hope Scheppelman, along with an affidavit from an individual who claimed to have downloaded the Excel file and discovered the hidden tab by clicking "unhide".
The posted passwords were for machines in 63 of the state's 64 counties. "BIOS passwords are highly confidential, allowing broad access for knowledgeable users to fundamentally manipulate systems and data and to remove any trace of doing so," the Colorado GOP stated.
The office of Jena Griswold, the Secretary of State, confirmed the incident and stated that they are working to rectify the situation. "There are two unique passwords for every election equipment component, which are kept in separate places and held by different parties. Passwords can only be used with physical in-person access to a voting system," a spokesperson for the SoS' office explained.
Despite the leak, Griswold maintained that it did not pose a significant security threat. "To be very clear, we do not see this as a full security threat to the state. This is not a security threat," she told 9NEWS.
Bottom Line
The issues with the Dominion voting machines in Michigan and the leak of voting system passwords in Colorado raise serious questions about the security and reliability of the voting process. These incidents demonstrate the need for robust security measures and reliable voting systems to ensure the integrity of elections. What are your thoughts on these issues? Do you think they could impact the outcome of the elections? Share this article with your friends and let us know your thoughts. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
