Rice U. expert available to discuss Secure Elections Act

Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu  

Jade Boyd
713-348-6778
jadeboyd@rice.edu

Rice U. expert available to discuss Secure Elections Act

Wallach: ‘They’re nowhere near allocating enough money’

HOUSTON — (March 28, 2018) — Rice University voting security expert Dan Wallach is available to discuss the Secure Elections Act, a bill aimed at combating hacking and ensuring election integrity.

The bipartisan measure gained momentum following the release of Senate Intelligence Committee recommendations for strengthening election defenses.

The centerpiece of the legislation is an election security grant program that would disburse money to states to replace obsolete voting equipment, but Wallach, a computer scientist, electronic voting security expert and scholar at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said the funding falls far short of what’s needed.

“I’m pleased that Congress is taking a bipartisan and serious approach toward improving election security,” Wallach said. “It’s unfortunate that they’re nowhere near allocating enough money to replace the aging and insecure voting systems that were purchased with 2002’s Help America Vote Act. That will force states and counties to bear the costs.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with Wallach, contact Jade Boyd, associate director of news and media relations at Rice, at 713-348-6778 or jadeboyd@rice.edu.

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Image for download:

http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/09/Wallach-Rayburn2-2fq1ncx.jpg
CAPTION: Dan Wallach (Photo by David Ruth/Rice University)

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