The US election system has safeguards. But human nature is a vulnerability

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to election security in the U.S., the weakest link may be human nature. Election and national security officials have said there’s no way a foreign power could successfully alter enough votes to change the outcome of the upcoming presidential contest. But that hasn’t stopped foreign adversaries as well as domestic extremist groups from pushing disinformation intended to make voters question the integrity of the system. One possible scenario involves what is called a perception hack — when an adversary tries to hack into a secure system, not to obtain sensitive material or change votes, but to generate distrust and fear. Election officials say that’s why it’s important to remind voters just how secure the system is.