Vulnerabilities, Variability, and Remedies: An Analysis of United States Electoral Systems Security

Elections in the United States are vulnerable on multiple fronts both physically and in cyberspace. In this paper four main vulnerabilities are discussed: voter rolls, political parties, social media, and voting machines. These four aspects of electioneering are particularly vulnerable due to their age, availability of unprotected data, and ease of misuse. This paper assesses the policy implications of deeming election administration as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security, and the proposed policy options focused on maintaining decentralization along with necessary upgrades provide adequate security to ensure the United States’ free and fair electoral process