Fulton County’s Voting Machine Breach

Background: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Takes Action

The state’s top election official filed a legal brief against officials in Fulton County, claiming that the officials were in violation of a January 27th court injunction. [1] “Last July, election officials in Fulton County gave an unauthorized company called Speckin Forensics LLC, access to its voting machines” [1]

Implications: What comes next?

This past Friday, the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court appointed Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Juberlirer to determine if the actions were lawful or ill-intended. [1] Cohn Juberlirer will be acting as a special master in this case which means that she must act with a high degree of neutrality. [3] She is mandated to produce a report with her findings and recommendations to the high court by November 18, 2022. [1]

Conclusions: How can we remedy the situation?

This is not the first time concerns have been raised about voting methods in the United States. On May 1, 2020, the Plaintiffs People First of Alabama along with other voters sued the state of Alabama for a “lack of requisite safety and accessibility procedures for voting during the pandemic” [2] This issue raises crucial questions about election security and the legitimacy of voting methods. Voter fraud is a concern of many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum. Consequently, some voting methods such as absentee mail-in ballots are frowned upon by citizens. Spreading more awareness about the diminutive amounts of voter fraud in past U.S. elections could re-assert trust in our democracy.