Prof. John Banzhaf: Yes, the Election Can Be Rigged

...Election computers have already been hacked, other hacking has resulted in the release of documents quite capable of affecting the election, both federal and state officials are taking steps aimed a preventing such interference, and a few professors and others have shown how easily such an event could occur.

Although I was hacking as far back as the 1950s, and created a computer technique for determining the chance that any small group of voters could change the outcome of a presidential election – now called “The Banzhaf Index” – which has been widely adopted and utilized, I certainly don’t ask you to take my word for it.  On the contrary, the evidence very briefly outlined below shows that it is possible (although clearly not probable) for an election to be hacked.

Listen to Prof. Banzhaf discuss this on Breitbart News Daily on SiriusXM:

Here’s just some of the evidence that rigging/hacking the forthcoming election is possible.

* According to NBC news and other media sources, the CIA is currently preparing to launch an unprecedented cyber war against Russia as retaliation for what has now been clearly identified as attempted Russian interference in the forthcoming U.S. presidential election.  This definitely includes the recent hacking of the election systems in Arizona and Illinois, and probably the release of emails damaging to Democrats for which Russia is also believed to be responsible.

* Also, Homeland Security Secretary Jeb Johnson is considering designating election systems around the country as a “critical infrastructure” in need of federal assistance and protection, and has already established an Election Infrastructure Cybersecurity Working Group, as well as launching a Voting Infrastructure Cybersecurity Action Campaign.

* Meanwhile, an anonymous Homeland Security Department official reportedly said that the voter systems of more than 20 states – including the key state of Florida – have been targeted by hackers just in recent months.

* The FBI’s reported that the data bases of election boards in at least two states were successfully hacked, apparently by foreign governments, and in at least one case the hackers were able to insert malicious software into the system.  Moreover, their report showed that both infiltrations were done using common off-the-shelf software programs readily available to anyone who wants them from the Internet. In other words, hacking election machines can be done not only by hostile governments and master computer experts, but also by common garden-variety hackers.

* Just weeks after the release of a report showing how easy it would be for Russians or even high school nerds to hack a presidential election, two other professors have just proven it.  University of Michigan Professor Alex Halderman was able to infiltrate a voting system from 500 miles away, and, in another demonstration, manipulate voting results with only a screwdriver and some memory chips.  Princeton professor Andrew Appel was able to hack an election machine in only 7 minutes.

* According to an official from the Department of Homeland Security, 25 states have reached out for federal aid related to election security, and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said he hopes more will seek assistance.

* CNN reluctantly reports that “we’ve officially entered the era of the hackable [presidential] election.”

* Mother Jones reports that “the concern that somebody might try to hack voting machines no longer seems outlandish.”

* Politico says a computer expert remarked that if some of the more susceptible voting machines hadn’t yet been hacked, “it was only because no one tried.”

* Money magazine says we’ve officially entered the era of the hackable election.

* Wired claims that the move toward electric voting machines turned out to be a “technological train wreck.”

*ABC News featured a piece entitled “Yes, It’s Possible to Hack the Election.”

* Tarrant County, Texas, is now investigating voter fraud through the use of mail-in ballots...