Description
Elections in the United States are run at the state level. Many states and localities have opted to use electronic voting machines for voting in elections. With the attempts at hacking to influence the US election process in 2016, there has been a new focus on securing our election infrastructure from future threats. This lesson explores the ways that states operate elections, vulnerabilities of voting machines found during a recent DEF CON report and possible ways to address these vulnerabilities.
Procedures
WARM UP:
Before starting class have the students answer the following question.
- How do you think governments record and count votes during elections?
VOCABULARY INTRODUCTION:
Before viewing the video clips associated with the lessons, either review the following vocabulary terms with the students or have them define each of the terms:
- Audit
- Hacking
- Hardware
- Infrastructure
- Paper Ballot
- Software
EXPLORATION:
After reviewing the students' questions to the warm up. Have the students view the following video clips and answer the questions on the handout for this lesson (Google Doc) . Review the answers with the students before moving on.
Video Clip: Douglas Lute on U.S. Voting Machine Vulnerability (2:23)
Video Clip: Voting Machines and the Security of Elections (3:25)
Video Clip: Hacking Voting Machines (2:08)
Video Clip: The Security of Voting Machines (5:24)
Video Clip: Decentralized Elections and Voting Machines (2:29)
Video Clip: Russian Hacking Attempts of Voting Machines (3:53)
APPLICATION:
Using the information from the videos, have the students come up with a plan to address the issue of election security. Students will come up with benefits and potential costs of their plan. They should also be able to defend their proposal.
CONCLUSION: Review the plans as a class. As an exit slip have the students answer the following question:
- How important is having secure elections to maintaining a democracy?
Additional Resource
Vocabulary
- Audit
- Ballot Box
- Decentralized
- Electronic Voting
- Hacking
- Hardware
- Infrastructure
- Jurisdictional Boundaries
- Malware
- National Security
- Paper Ballot
- Secretary Of State
- Software
- Supply Chain
- Tabulation
- Touchscreen Technology
- Voter Database
- Voting Machines