Election Security

On March 3, 2006, Dawn K. Roberts, director of the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections sent a technical advisory memo to all 67 Supervisor(s) of Elections to immediately enhance voting system security throughout the state. This advisory provided minimum guidelines for security standards at the local level. Dawn Roberts cited the problems with the state of California's voting systems technology, and the potential security system vulnerabilities in election media in the state of Florida. Enhanced security safeguards are recommended for all types of election equipment and media which include PCMCIA cards, memory cards and paper ballots. Under the state of Florida, a set of guidelines and procedures are recommended based on threat models, or forms of perceived attacks on our election system. Ms. Roberts underscores the importance of items that could be a perceived threat to the voting methods in our state, such a transportation of ballots, and pre/post election security. One method that was discussed in her memorandum was the threat to optical scanners, like the type we currently use in Hernando County. Hernando County Supervisor of Elections, Annie Williams recently requested additional space for her department stating the need for a more secure place of storage for election equipment. The election equipment is currently being stored in a facility at the old DPW building on Martin Luther King Blvd (the site that is currently under review for toxic materials). This unsecured facility that houses the Hernando County's election equipment could be seen as a potential security risk. The taxpayers of Hernando County have invested thousands of dollars in election equipment over the last few years which is state of the art and it needs to be protected, not only from threats but from the elements of Mother Nature herself.