Editor-

Rigging Stuff

BC
By: Mason Mastroianni, Mick Mastroianni and Johnny Hart, Oct. 19, 2024

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I'm certainly not the guy to claim an election has or can be rigged with the use of computers. Heck, I can't even remember my various passwords half the time, continually having to resubmit new ones to replace the ones I've forgotten.

Frustrating, but a fact of life.

However, do I think it's possible to rig an election? Sure, why wouldn't it be?

Seems nearly everything involving computers has the propensity to be tampered with by really smart nerds and hucksters. From banking accounts, government agencies, Wall Street, private businesses, military installations, colleges and universities, inventory procedures and individual identity thefts are susceptible to computer fraud and manipulation in one form or another.

What would make an election any different? Because a spokesperson from some reputable firm or law enforcement agency insists adequate procedures have been implemented to protect against such shenanigans.

Really? Then the next day we hear a company, investment enterprise or government office has been hacked, private information removed, and millions of dollars stolen.

Which kind of makes a person wonder if these outfits, with expensive computers, sophisticated software, anti-pirate gadgets, company investigators and IT professionals can be tampered with, why would a state or national election be considered immune to computer trickery?

To paraphrase an ancient saying, "If someone has something someone else wants, then it's a recognized truism a way to steal it will be figured out."

Actually, I think there's a Biblical Commandment about it.

Doesn't really matter if its bank robbery, vehicle theft, convenience store holdup, individual Social Security manipulation, thievery is as old as humanity. As a result, there's been several thousand years to practice and improve upon various ways to commit it.

Only now, the plethora of computers has greatly intensified the problem. From individuals to governments, finding ways to surreptitiously enter and manipulate computers has become a major factor in private, commercial and government security.

As a result, concerns over the safety and accuracy of elections — especially in a nationwide General Election year — prompts many to question "Are our elections really secure from fraud and other external manipulations?"

Frankly, I'm not certain a definitive answer can be given. In a country with over 50 individual states and territories, comprised of several thousand separate counties, with a total population of nearly 330 million people, casting ballots through thousands of voting machines, almost boggles the mind how anyone could claim near 100% correctness.

Similar proclamations were made by the government during the COVID commotion when we were assured by health agencies and officials — including the President — only the unvaccinated could spread the virus. Well, that turned out to be utter nonsense, and the economy and social fabric of society was nearly wrecked in the process.

We still haven't adequately recovered.

Recent accusations of Chinese, Russian and Iranian malicious activity in our elections has cast additional doubts on the integrity of our vote counting process.

Still, private investigative agencies claim elections are safer than they've ever been — "Around 98% of all ballots cast in this year's election will include a paper record, according to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice based on data collected by Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group that tracks voting equipment in the U.S. Officials say that's important for ensuring that any error or cyberattack will not prevent officials from producing an accurate record of the vote." — AP News, Oct. 9, 2024.

Reassuring, but not totally convincing. Any time the liberal mainstream media informs us something is "nonpartisan" in order to appear fair and balanced, then it might be wise to consider the source.

As in many things, the validity of vote counting is an ongoing cat-and-mouse game. The higher the stakes, the greater the effort to circumvent the security of the process.

Or maybe, it's as uncomplicated as the popular BC comic suggests — "It's just cheaper to make people think you can rig an election."

Mike Bibb

Safford, AZ