2020 Russian election attacks will be intense

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R) was emphatic Monday night in Mount Vernon: “Make no mistake. In 2016 Russia had the best coordinated attack on our elections. They were not the only state, but they were the best,” she told the 50 people gathered at the Skagit Public Utilities District building. The most frightening part of Russia’s efforts to influence U.S. elections, the Thurston County Republican said, was the “hundreds of thousands of fake email address that get into social media circles and look legit.” Russian success is having the mainstream media publish the false social media stories as breaking news.

“Their endgame is what frightens me the most,” she said at the Skagit County League of Women Voters forum on new voting laws and the security of the voting system in Washington. “They want to get us to oppose one another,” she said.

Russia sows discord among liberal and conservatives alike, while appearing to be citizen John Doe, Wyman said, so Americans don’t realize that the bad will among groups has been fomented by the Russians. If rancor is seen as factions fighting among ourselves, citizens will think they are exercising their First Amendment rights and “we will believe our elections are legitimate, while they undermine our government.” Wrecking American democracy, not the election of a specific person, is the purpose.

In 2016 President Barak Obama designated the nation’s election system’s “critical infrastructure” the same as the electrical grid or public water supply, giving the Department of Homeland Security jurisdiction to act.

Wyman said U.S. government agencies found that Russia scanned the election systems of all 50 state but only successfully broke into Arizona’s and Illinois’. In Washington, they did not get past firewall protection systems.

Mailed-in paper ballots and procedures separating vote counts from internet transmission safeguard Washington’s votes from tampering. Wyman has “high confidence that what happens in Washington happens across the country,” she told the group. She does not believe any 2016 ballots were tampered or changed.

The August primary was the first with same day voter registration, mandated by a new state law. Wyman reported the system worked well in an election with 29% turnout and predicts it will work with perhaps record turnout for next year’s presidential election. “If a ballot is mailed to you in Skagit County and you move to Spokane County and register to vote, your Skagit County ballot will be cancelled,” she said by way of example. County election systems are integrated statewide.

Skagit County Auditor Sandy Perkins spoke first. She shared the need for voters to follow all procedures so their votes are counted, starting with signing your ballot with a legible signature. That is matched to an on-file electronic signature. Hundreds of signatures were questionable; 98 ballots were not counted because of unmatched signature.

Four hundred-forty-four ballots were not counted in August because of voter errors ranging from the outer envelope not being signed to ballots postmarked after election day.

Perkins called these low hanging fruit that can be fixed. She encouraged everyone to register to vote and to register family and friends.

The deadline for online and mail registrations is eight days before an election. On election day 8 p.m. is the deadline for in-person registration and voting at the county election office.

Washington’s Secretary of State is the state’s chief elections officer. Her other duties include supervising the initiative and referendum process overseeing corporations and charities, administering the state archives and library and she is the custodian of the state seal.

County auditors are responsible for county elections. Deputy Auditor and Elections Supervisor David Cunningham also spoke.