UUFSMA: “Protecting the 2020 US Elections”

UU Service

“Protecting the 2020 US Elections”

Ben Ptashnik

Sunday, May 5, 2019

by Jon Sievert

At this Sunday’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Service, Ben Ptashnik, co-founder and Executive Director of the National Election Defense Coalition (NEDC), discusses what his organization is doing to protect the integrity of the 2020 U.S. elections.

The NEDC is dedicated to reforming US elections by replacing all insecure electronic voting machines with paper ballots before the 2020 elections. The right to vote is the cornerstone of the US democratic Republic and profoundly affects every issue that concerns Americans. Yet that right is useless if our votes are not properly counted or lost, stolen, hacked or manipulated. The shocking vulnerability to error and undetectable fraud of the US current computerized voting systems fundamentally threatens the security of the nation, violates voting rights, and undermines the US system of governance.

NEDC is the only organization building an effective bipartisan movement to secure election reform that ensures integrity and transparency and protects the voting rights of all Americans. NEDC recently succeeded in getting Congress to allocate $380 million dollars to all 50 states for cyber security. But much more needs to be done.

In the recent red flag warning by intelligence agencies, the FBI, and Department of Homeland Security confirmed that foreign adversaries cyber-attacked election networks in all 50 states in 2016. Despite increased focus on security, American elections are a soft target. Leading computer security experts have studied a range of electronic voting infrastructure, including touch screen machines, optical scanners, and registration database systems and found serious vulnerabilities that threaten election integrity. A survey of about 300 election officials in 28 states discovered that a strong majority of state systems need security upgrades.

Ptashnik, a former Vermont State Senator, has been a social justice activist, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist for five decades. He currently lives with his partner Victoria at the Tikkun Eco Center just north of San Miguel. As a Senator, Ptashnik spearheaded and passed his state’s key campaign financing reforms, led in the fight to pass Vermont’s landmark Civil Union Act for LGBT couples, and helped make the State of Vermont an environmental leader in the US. His current project, NEDC, leads a coalition of 15 NGOs and hundreds of computer scientists and cyber experts ranging from far left to far right dedicated to preserving the security of US democratic elections. For more information see www.electiondefense.org and www.usbase.net.

For more information about the UUFSMA, including our Children’s Religious Education program, Social Action outreach, weekly discussion groups, social activities, and Care Team, join us any Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hotel La Aldea or check out our website at uufsma.org.

Our fellowship was born in 1987 when a small group of expatriate religious liberals came together to meet as Unitarian Universalists in San Miguel de Allende. The fellowship has been active and thriving ever since. Every UU church has it’s own flavor, and we are no exception. We are a combination of expats and visitors, each actively engaged and contributing to this wonderful Mexican community we love. Because there is a coming, going, and returning aspect, our spiritual community is extremely fluid.  There is a magic in San Miguel which draws us in and binds us together—both as members of the church and of the larger community. Our programming is led by visiting ministers, community leaders, and church members, so the variety is lively. We have opportunities to meet as UU’s each week at discussion groups, breakfasts, luncheons, and in various other ways. Depending on the season, attendance fluctuates between 40 and 140. Our primary focus is on funding social action within the surrounding community. We love good music, good discussion, good food, and having visitors. We invite you to join us any Sunday morning.

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