The 2024 U.S. presidential election has finally kicked off, with the small town of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire once again becoming the focus of national attention! Just after midnight on November 5 local time, this town with only 6 registered voters cast the first batch of ballots in this election. Unexpectedly, the final result was a jaw-dropping *3 votes to 3 votes tie*, with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump each receiving three votes.
This symbolic first ballot delivery not only marks the beginning of the presidential election but also makes this snow-covered small town once again a witness to history. The special tradition of Dixville Notch began in 1960, and since then, residents have gathered at midnight on Election Day to cast their ballots first, seemingly sounding the horn for the national electoral process. This tradition not only showcases the unity and enthusiasm of the town's residents but has also become part of the symbol of American democracy.
Looking back at history, there have been multiple instances of 'prediction ballots' here: in the 2020 election, five voters collectively voted for Biden; in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton received 4 out of 7 votes, Trump got 2, and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received 1. The tie result this year is even more thought-provoking, seemingly suggesting that the 2024 election will be a fiercely competitive battle.
For the residents of Dixville Notch, this moment is not just about exercising their right to vote; it is also a moment of dialogue with history, synchronized with voters across the nation. In the quiet notch, their 3 votes against 3 votes seem to cast a 'suspense' for the nation, waiting for the answers from the subsequent millions of ballots.
The traditions and first ballot results of this small town symbolize the beginning of the election each time, representing the diversity and complexity of the American people. Tonight, this snow-covered small town once again opens the curtain for the tumult of the 2024 U.S. presidential election in a simple yet profound way.
This week, the American public's attention is not only focused on the candidates but also on the security of the election voting system. Nationwide early voting has exceeded 78 million, yet as Election Day approaches, issues such as software failures and password leaks are emerging one after another, significantly raising the pressure on voting system developers, even more so than on the candidates.
The shadow of high-tech systems: frequent failures and data security crises
Last Friday, South Dakota's electronic voting system suddenly crashed during peak hours, forcing voters to queue in long, winding lines at polling places. The anxious voters had worried looks on their faces, and the warning sign on the building's front door seemed helpless and cold: 'Voting system malfunction, please be patient.' Such scenes were not only happening in South Dakota; Colorado also experienced a 'password gate' incident where part of the election system's password was accidentally leaked. Although the Secretary of State urgently changed the password, public concerns over data security were not easily quelled.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold confidently explained in an interview, 'We have implemented dual authentication for password management, so even if passwords leak, they cannot be used alone.' However, people are more concerned about whether such incidents will happen again. This 'password gate' has once again brought the technological pressures behind the election to the surface.
'Unintentional' mistakes or potential threats? Foreign hackers and supply chain vulnerabilities
In New Hampshire, the security issues of the voting database have also come to light. This year, the state chose a new company to replace the aging system before the election, but soon discovered that some of the company's work had been outsourced to foreign programmers. Worse still, there were configuration errors in the system that could even connect to servers in Russia. The security of the voting system immediately raised alarms from multiple parties, and further investigations found that the system's code included open-source code overseen by a Russian developer, prompting New Hampshire officials to hire cybersecurity experts to inspect every line of code in the system. After a thorough investigation, Anand Balasubramanian, CEO of the supplier WSD Digital, stated, 'I have 100% confidence in the security of the system.' This statement garnered some trust for New Hampshire's voting database, but external doubts have not completely dissipated.
Voting machines and the 'old' security measures of manual operation
Although voting systems are continuously updated, paper ballots remain the 'ironclad evidence' of American elections. Experts believe that voting data is exported physically via USB devices, manually operated by election officials to ensure data accuracy. Election official Sean Lyngaas explains that although USB storage may sound not 'advanced', manual operation adds a layer of security to the data—preventing ballot tampering due to hacking. However, even so, electronic devices still pose certain risks. In one theft incident, an authorized person actually brought an unrelated individual into the election office, raising new concerns about election security from this 'low-probability' event.
Returning to paper ballots? The dilemma between safety and efficiency
Faced with various risks of data breaches and system failures, some states are considering whether to fully revert to paper ballots. In New Mexico, the voting machines provided by Dominion have long been under scrutiny. Since the 2020 election, Dominion has been in the spotlight, accused of being involved in electoral fraud, leading to concerns for the safety of several company executives. An official from the company stated, 'Now, I look twice at any car parked outside my house, afraid something might happen.'
Exhausted executives: the 'invisible battlefield' behind the election
Dominion, ES&S, and Hart InterCivic are the three election equipment suppliers that support the vast majority of the U.S. election infrastructure. As the 2024 election approaches, these companies have implemented multiple layers of protective measures, submitting their systems to top cybersecurity experts for penetration testing. At Idaho National Laboratory, scientists thoroughly test every function of these devices to ensure that even in the event of malicious attacks, the system can remain secure.
Increased pressure: the 'battle' of technicians
Each election controversy pushes the voting system into the public spotlight, while the technicians behind the system silently bear immense pressure. They must ensure the system operates perfectly from a technical standpoint while responding to doubts and accusations from all sides. In this election, the voting system has become an invisible protagonist, with candidates anxious about the ballots, while system developers worry about every line of code and every security barrier.
Behind the 2024 U.S. presidential election, beyond the competition among candidates, is a game of technology and trust. In this arena filled with uncertainty and high pressure, the security and fairness of the voting system are not only a challenge to technology but also a test of public trust.
