A recent study conducted by academics from Brock, Carleton, and Western universities highlighted critical issues in the logistics and technology of online voting during Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections. The research, focusing on computer engineering, cryptography, and political science, revealed vulnerabilities in voting systems supplied by various vendors, posing a significant risk to 70% of races.
The study identified two main security flaws. Firstly, a logistical error led to the potential for fraud when discarding a voter’s unique login PIN. Secondly, a technical vulnerability across different vendor systems posed a threat of hijacking up to a million online ballots on election night.
The findings emphasized the challenges of digital voting, showcasing how the pursuit of convenience and accessibility could compromise election integrity if cybersecurity relies on local budgets and design choices. In Ontario, the absence of a provincial standard left 219 municipal clerks to procure their own systems, creating a fragmented landscape vulnerable to systemic fraud due to human errors.
Researchers uncovered the security risk when a senior official from a rural Ontario municipality raised concerns about discarded voter information letters at a rural post office, exposing security PINs to potential fraud. This oversight highlighted the need for heightened security measures in the online voting process.
Furthermore, researchers discovered a significant vulnerability in one-third of online voting systems, where the absence of digital safeguards could allow for ballot manipulation by creating on-screen illusions to deceive voters.
Notably, two major vendors in Ontario’s online voting systems were found to have flaws. While one vendor, Scytl, addressed the issue during the election, the other, Neuvote, failed to patch the vulnerability in time for the polls.
Despite the potential benefits of online voting in enhancing democratic participation, the lack of regulatory standards in Ontario has hindered widespread adoption. Advocates argue that setting clear rules and standards is crucial to safeguarding election integrity and preventing security breaches. Failure to establish such standards could leave democracy vulnerable to exploitation and undermine public trust in election results.