Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Complex Elections: Making Voting More Robust and Trustworthy / The Struggle over Voting Methods in the United States201 views
Author
Bigger, William, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Norton, Peter, EN-Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Orebaugh, Angela, University of Virginia
Abstract
In America’s decentralized election system, voters demand convenient, fast, and auditable elections. Many Americans distrust their electoral process. In Virginia, Chesterfield County’s General Registrar employed interns under the state’s Cyber Navigator Program to draft an incident response plan to comply with the state’s Locality Election Security Standard. Election offices must navigate the court system, state law, and county services. Policy and infrastructure recommendations were proposed to Chesterfield County’s General Registrar to better comply with incident response standards and integrate with other county functions. To earn and retain public trust, U.S. elections authorities must respond to competing pressures within strict legal and resource constraints. Elections lie in a contested liminal space between public authorities and divergent private pressures, making reform contentious. A better understanding of the forces influencing confidence in elections may serve efforts to improve public trust in them.
Degree
BS (Bachelor of Science)
Keywords
Voting; Elections; Cybersecurity
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved (no additional license for public reuse)
Bigger, William. Complex Elections: Making Voting More Robust and Trustworthy / The Struggle over Voting Methods in the United States. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2023-05-10, https://doi.org/10.18130/bd07-8z69.
