1 in 4 voters may not vote in 2018 midterms because of cybersecurity concerns


More than a quarter of recently polled registered voters say they will consider not casting ballots in future U.S. elections because of hacking concerns, with 27 percent saying they may stay home from the polls when the 2018 midterm elections roll around.

That number could mark a challenge during the midterms, with the possibility of as many as 58.8 million of the more than 200 million eligible voters choosing to stay home, according cybersecurity firm Carbon Black. The June survey of 5,000 people found a lower level of confidence in the overall voting process compared to data collected prior to most recent presidential election.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said they now feel elections are less secure than they previously thought before the 2016 election, and concerned voters pointed to Russia as the country that poses the greatest risk to the U.S. process. They ranked the U.S., North Korea, China and Iran as next trailing the Kremlin in risk.

Concerns over the security and validity of the U.S. elections have spiraled in the wake of claims of foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election cycle, including ongoing investigations into possible Russian meddling and claims that the Trump administration had knowledge of the wrongdoing.

And 45 percent said they believe the midterm elections will indeed be influenced by cyberattacks, according to the survey.

When it comes to states' abilities to protect their voters, people remain skeptical.

Less than half of the voters surveyed said they think individual states and voting districts are capable of protecting their elections information safe, with just 45 percent believing the states can.

President Donald Trump has said he is making a push to quell voting concerns by backing a commission to investigate possible voter fraud nationwide, but the Trump administration has most recently stalled its effort amid mounting legal challenges.

Copyright 2017 U.S. News & World Report

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