New York will have new voting machines that do not require physical ballots

The New York State Board of Elections approved the certification of ExpressVote XL, new voting machines manufactured by Elections System and Software. The state did so despite recommendations against, since they are not safe for voters or for a correct electoral process. Their use will not be mandatory; it will depend on what each county decides.

Several groups advocating for the protection of democracy such as Common Cause New York, which is made up of more than 74,000 New Yorkers; Free Speech For People; and Public Citizen all argue that the machines are very vulnerable to hackers and leave no physical paper trail to authenticate the vote.

In a brief, the coalition noted that ExpressVote XL "does not meet New York State Security Requirements." After conducting an analysis, the groups identified "430 potential vulnerabilities" in the new voting machines.

Letter of Opposition CCNY and National Groups_Voz Media by VozMedia on Scribd

Letter of Opposition CCNY and National Groups_Voz Media by VozMedia on Scribd

On the other hand, Common Cause New York, Free Speech For People and Public Citizen asserted that ExpressVote XL "does not meet New York State law to provide a voter-verified paper ballot."

Up to this point, voters filled out their ballots by hand and deposited them in the machines at the polling stations. ExpressVote XL eliminates this step for voters, since they can mark their vote on the screen. Despite criticism and opposition, New York state officials assured that the machines passed all tests and are safe.