Published: October 28, 2020
At the heart of who we are as Americans and what our country was founded on and represents, is our right to vote, and for that vote to be counted. People have marched, protested, fought and died to ensure that right is preserved and protected. And the potential that this right to vote could be threatened, whether by forces foreign or domestic, especially during perhaps one of the most divisive presidential elections in our history should be of great concern to us all.
For this episode I am joined by Natalie Scala, professor at Towson University to discuss election security, what threats we are facing and what can be done to address these and preserve the security and integrity of our electoral process.
In 2019, Special Counselor Mueller testified to Congress that interference from foreign actors was ongoing and expected to continue into 2020. And now we’re hearing so much about disinformation, and typically that’s happening through social media campaigns. But there is another component here, this idea of voter integrity, to make sure that vote is counted the way the voter intended it to be counted. We have no evidence that votes were ever compromised in 2016, but we obviously don’t ever want that to happen as well.
Interviewed this episode:
Natalie Scala
Towson University
Dr. Scala’s areas of expertise include decision modeling, energy utilities, elections security, military applications, spare parts management and cybersecurity. She has published numerous papers in leading journals and actively consults industry clients
Episode Transcript
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Want to learn more? Check out the additional resources and links listed below for more information about what was discussed in the episode.
“Protecting Maryland’s Polling Places,” Towson University News
“Where Oklahoma Stands in Making Sure Your Vote Counts,” Fox 23 News
“Researcher Explains Study Results Showing Mail-in Voting is Secure,” WAVY.com
“Towson University Professor Aims to Bolster Local Election Security at Voting Sites,” The Baltimore Sun
“Election Security Concerns After a Week of Reported Issues,” Fox 45 News
“Expert: Maryland Hasn’t Had Widespread Fraud with In-person or Mail-in Voting,” WBALTV
“COVID Crisis Amid Election Season: 3 Threats to Consider Before Making a Very Important Decision,” The Hill
“COVID-19 and the Impact on Election Security,” Engage TU