Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Pennsylvania’s new voting systems face an array of challenges

Election Systems & Software, Express Vote XL

This machine by Election Systems & Software, certified for use in Pennsylvania, produces a bar code printout rather than a paper copy that a voter can review.

Election Systems & Software

Pennsylvania continues to be a hotspot in the ongoing national campaign to create voting systems that are better able to fend off hacking attempts next year.

Jill Stein, the 2016 Green Party presidential candidate, recently asked a federal judge to declare state officials in violation of a court-approved agreement because they certified a voting system that doesn't generate a readable paper ballot.

And a Republican county official, after being told by state officials he would soon face legal action, changed his mind and said he would support purchasing new voting machines.

Pennsylvania's voting systems carry significance far beyond the state's borders for several reasons. Until recently, it was one of just a handful of states in which votes were still stored electronically without printed ballots. Election security experts say in order to have the best shot at surviving a hacking attempt, voting systems must generate a paper record for each ballot.


Also, Pennsylvania was among 21 states the Department of Homeland Security said Russian operatives unsuccessfully attempted to hack in the last presidential contest, when Donald Trump carried the state by just seven-tenths of a percentage point. A perennial presidential bellwether, Pennsylvania (with 20 electoral votes) now looks like the second biggest prize (after Florida) that nominees of both parties will be genuinely in the hunt for next fall.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

This week, Commissioner Mike Pries of Dauphin County told The Associated Press that after meeting with state officials and being warned of possible legal action, he had decided to vote to buy new machines for the county, which is dominated by the state capital of Harrisburg.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered all counties to purchase new voting machines in time for the 2020 balloting. But officials in Dauphin had signaled theirs would be the only county to defy the order. The county's other commissioners, one Democrat and one Republican, have yet to meet with state officials on the issue.

Stein's legal action focuses on the state's decision to certify the Election Systems & Software ExpressVote XL voting system.

Her court filing says the system violates the agreement she made last year to settle a lawsuit she filed in 2016, when she took less than 1 percent of the statewide presidential vote. The suit declared the "Pennsylvania election system is a national disgrace."

The ExpressVote XL system generates a paper record of votes but only with a barcode. That, the new legal filing argues, violates the settlement agreement, which requires all voting systems in the state to create a readable paper record. Stein asked the judge to rescind the certification of the Express XL system, in use in Philadelphia and other counties.

Elections Systems & Software officials have said their system is secure and meets all of the state requirements.

Pennsylvania's attempt to replace voting machines across the state in time for the May 15 primary has drawn a lot of attention. By the time of last month's local elections, 45 of the state's 67 counties had upgraded their systems and eight more were on their way.

But problems on election night with the touchscreens of the Express Vote XL system used in Northampton County, centered on Easton, forced local officials to hand count ballots.

The Democratic secretary of State, Kathy Boockvar, said that, overall, the election went well. "The election was carried out statewide with little incident," she said. "That's especially impressive given that 45 counties were using new voting systems."

Read More

"Voter Here" sign outside of a polling location.

"Voter Here" sign outside of a polling location.

Getty Images, Grace Cary

Stopping the Descent Toward Banana Republic Elections

President Trump’s election-related executive order begins by pointing out practices in Canada, Sweden, Brazil, and elsewhere that outperform the U.S. But it is Trump’s order itself that really demonstrates how far we’ve fallen behind. In none of the countries mentioned, or any other major democracy in the world, would the head of government change election rules by decree, as Trump has tried to do.

Trump is the leader of a political party that will fight for control of Congress in 2026, an election sure to be close, and important to his presidency. The leader of one side in such a competition has no business unilaterally changing its rules—that’s why executive decrees changing elections only happen in tinpot dictatorships, not democracies.

Keep ReadingShow less
hundred dollar bills.
Getty Images, boonchai wedmakawand

Congress Bill Spotlight: Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about but that often don't get the right news coverage.

Trump reportedly tips his Mar-a-Lago groundskeepers with $100 bills. What if his own face appeared on them?

Keep ReadingShow less
Introducing The Expand Democracy 5

Introducing The Expand Democracy 5

In March, Rob Richie and Eveline Dowling launched a new Expand Democracy publication: The Expand Democracy 5. Each week they lift up five stories connected to their core belief: if democracy is not expanding, it is shrinking. They’re on the lookout for informative articles and timely news associated with a pro-democracy proposal that they believe warrants greater public awareness, often with links allowing readers to go deeper and connect with those advancing the idea.

In keeping with The Fulcrum’s mission to share ideas that help to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives, we intend to publish The Expand Democracy 5 in The Fulcrum each Friday, beginning today.

Keep ReadingShow less
Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin
- YouTube

Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin

The Fulcrum presents The Path Forward: Defining the Democracy Reform Movement. Scott Warren's interview series engages diverse thought leaders to elevate the conversation about building a thriving and healthy democratic republic that fulfills its potential as a national social and political game-changer. This initiative is the start of focused collaborations and dialogue led by The Bridge Alliance and The Fulcrum teams to help the movement find a path forward.

Karissa Raskin is the new CEO of the Listen First Project, a coalition of over 500 nationwide organizations dedicated to bridging differences. The coalition aims to increase social cohesion across American society and serves as a way for bridging organizations to compare notes, share resources, and collaborate broadly. Karissa, who is based in Jacksonville, served as the Director of Coalition Engagement for a number of years before assuming the CEO role this February.

Keep ReadingShow less