Democratic National Committee Rejects Plans To Hold ‘Virtual Caucuses’ in Iowa and Nevada, Citing Security Concerns

Democratic National Committee Rejects Plans To Hold ‘Virtual Caucuses’ in Iowa and Nevada, Citing Security Concerns

Facing criticism over low voter turnout and barriers to caucusing, party officials planned for remote caucuses in 2020. But the national Democratic Party said the methods would expose the process to high cybersecurity risks.

Democratic Party officials in Iowa and Nevada have been developing a novel idea for the 2020 primaries, which are only months away: allowing voters to remotely caucus for candidates instead of showing up in person and potentially waiting hours to cast a vote.

The caucuses in two early primary states have long been criticized for low turnout, which has been attributed to blistering cold February weather in Iowa and the barriers to caucusing for people who work long hours.

But the Democratic National Committee soundly rejected the “virtual caucus” plans on Friday, citing recommendations from security consultants who said holding online or phone caucuses would increase risk of foreign interference and cyber breaches.

“We concur with the advice of the DNC’s security experts that there is no tele-caucus system available that meets our standard of security and reliability given the scale needed for the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the current cyber-security climate,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement with the chairpeople of the group’s rules and bylaws committee. “For those reasons, we are recommending to the committee that virtual caucus systems not be used in the Iowa and Nevada 2020 caucus processes.”

The announcement came just a little over a week after security experts hired by the party were able to hack into a DNC conference call, raising concerns about potential hacks if voters were to participate in a teleconference caucus.

While the specific details of the virtual caucus plans were not released, an Iowa Democratic Party plan proposed earlier this year would have allowed caucus-goers to participate in one of six virtual sessions in late January or early February. Those sessions would have potentially included a teleconference, online virtual conference or “another secure method,” NPR reported.

The idea may have increased turnout, but security experts told NPR that secure voting is not available in current phone or internet systems.

"If you're doing phone voting or internet voting, it's pretty much garbage in, garbage out,” Joseph Lorenzo Hall, the chief technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said. “You don't really know what you're getting in or what's coming out the other side.”

Hall added: "This is why we often demand a paper record — a software-independent, indelible record that can be recounted later. It can't be hacked."

Officials may need to present new plans to the DNC to meet the security measures. The committee previously said it will act on each state plan by Sept. 13, The Des Moines Register reported.

With the Iowa caucuses set to take place on Feb. 3, organizers are scrambling to make sure its infrastructure is ready in just over five months.

“We are obviously disappointed by this outcome, and we continue to have confidence in the abilities of our vendors, but if the DNC does not believe the virtual caucus can be secure, then we cannot go forward,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price said in a statement. "While only five months remain before the caucuses, we will explore what alternatives may exist to securely increase accessibility from previous years given the time allowed.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.