Potential compromises of Election System in 2016 Demand Review, says veteran lawmaker
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, Chairman of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Reform and Federal Relations Committee, reacted Tuesday to the alarming report that 39 U.S. states had their voting systems compromised as a result of foreign interference in the 2016 election:
“I am deeply, deeply concerned by the report this morning that 39 U.S. states had their voting systems compromised by Russian agents attempting to influence the outcome of our democratic process.
“Bloomberg reports that in certain instances these hackers gained access to state-level voter registration information in an attempt to delete or alter voter records and in other instances they compromised the integrity of software designed for use by Election Day poll staff, all of which could be used to influence the outcome for their preferred candidate or diminish voter turnout.
“Such acts are a clear attack on the values that we as Americans hold most dear. The right to have our voice heard and matter in determining the outcome of an election is fundamentally at risk. Aggressions like this, and how we choose to respond, rise far above and beyond politics. They threaten our right to engage in political discourse and bring us one step closer to existing under the thumb of a foreign power, rather than determining our own future as a nation.
“While details are still forthcoming, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where New Jersey was not one of the 39 states in question. As the most densely populated state, existing between two of the nation’s largest media markets, it is a lucrative target for anyone hoping to influence outcomes in our political system.
“I call upon Governor Christie to commit resources and start working with federal partners today in order to investigate and determine if New Jersey was one of the states affected, to what extent it was affected, and what steps can be taken to defend ourselves from future intrusions. Anything short of taking decisive action in response to these unnerving revelations would amount to complicity in the deterioration of American democracy.”