The university of florida as of this morning where than 79 million valid seven casts and that includes 27 million early ballots and 52 absentee ballots and 39 million absentee ballots outstanding. In some counties and states we are nearing the point where the more ballots are cast for election day 2020 than during the entire 2016 voting time. It also mean this will be the First National election were more than half of the ballots are cast prior to election day and the shift occurred in a once in a century pandemic working with electric show officials to adapt. Election administrators deserve all our respect and admiration in voting is happening right now and processing is happening right now weve decided to symbol a group of voting experts with men Election Officials who been studying it for their entire careers to discuss what to affect in its unprecedented elections years and hopefully. Before i introduce them i ask the questions throughout this event either through facebook or youtu
Cybersecurity and elections very seriously. At the same time we face many other challenges to ensure every vote counts if we count both. Some of the challenges are the direct result of human action related to Older Technology and as we have seen in the past even face risks from natural events such as major storms. I would like each of you to comment on how you would rate the current cybersecurity risk in the upcoming election as it relates to other issues. From my perspective, my entire orientation and of my organization it is looking at the cybersecurity risks and threats and so all of the other things youve talked about our outside of our purview with one exception which is the Contingency Planning that the state and other jurisdictions and local jurisdictions are encouraged to do under the voluntary system guidelines can also protect against these other kinds of natural disasters and other things youve referenced. I would put at risk again as i indicated on election day very low for
Every voter gets a ballot and they can choose to mail that ballot in our drop the ballot off at a site or go went early to an early voting site as mr. Wallace mentioned or they can go on election day to a voting center. I dont mean to interrupt but to clarify and organize someone wants to vote in the Elections Office on election day they can stand in the booth and vote. Anybody can do that. Some people dont because its easier to mail it. I think the states are learning from that experience and trying to figure out whats best for their state. Oregon and washington and colorado and other states and their particular systems. Also importantly brought up the notes between the Voter Registration system and the Voting Machines and tabulation devices themselves and particularly with mail voting its very important because the voter lists are the way to deliver a ballot to someone because thats able to generate the mailing to the voters. Of course the states where they dont get ballots, they are
I will recognize myself for an Opening Statement and then the Ranking Member. We are here to look at election security. Its hard to imagine a bipartisan issue. Its what president Abraham Lincoln meant when he said a government by the people. When our citizens vote, they not only elect their leaders, they choose a direction and set priorities for the nation. Elections with integrity strengthen democracy and confer legitimacy and public trust in government. Concerns with earlier systems have the passage of the 2002 help america vote act. This requires the National Institute of standards and technology for which we have jurisdiction to work with the Assistance Commission to work on the technical and voluntary guidelines for voting. We will discuss the current guidelines that are in place for the states to protect their voting and elections systems. Though they were voluntary, i hope to hear whether they were sufficient to safeguard and whether the state effectively use them. This discussi