The elections may be over, but fake news still out there. And aiming to continue fighting electoral lies, Intercultural Newsaddresses today: Is it possible to hack electronic voting machines?




During election periods, a recurring theme among debates and theories is the security of electronic voting machines. Even in other countries like France and Germany, voting ballots are still used. In Brazil, where the electronic voting system has been widely used since 1996, many questions arise, the most common being: Is it possible to hack an electronic ballot box? How can I ensure the security of my votes?

How do electronic voting machines work?
The electronic voting machines used in Brazil operate autonomously, that is, they are not connected to the internet or any other type of network that could allow a remote attack. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE), responsible for the electoral system, emphasizes that this feature prevents any action by hackers via the internet, as there is no way to remotely access the ballot boxes. The security of electronic voting machines lies in their isolation, which reduces the riskof large-scale cyber attacks.
In addition, the ballot boxes are equipped with a series of protection layers, such as data encryption and digital signatures, which guarantee the integrity of the software used and the voting process itself.

Public Security Tests
To ensure the transparency of the system, the TSE regularly carries out Public Security Tests (TPS), in which hackers and information security experts are invited to try to find vulnerabilities in the electronic ballot boxes. 
In recent years, these tests have shown that, although there are points that can be improved, safety barriers have proven effective.

One of the most notorious episodes occurred in 2017, when a team of researchers managed to alter the behavior of a ballot box, but the TSE itself highlighted that the scenario reproduced could not occur during an election, as it involved prolonged physical access to the ballot box, something unfeasible in real voting circumstances.

Fraud Possibilities
Theoretically, for an electronic ballot box to be "hacked", physical access to the equipment and modification of its hardware or software would be necessary before voting. Even so, the system of seals and subsequent auditing — which can be requested by any political party — makes this manipulation difficult.

Another layer of protection is the Digital Vote Record (RDV), which allows the results of the polls to be audited, comparing digitally recorded votes with ballot papers printed after the polling stations closed. This way, any fraud attempt would be detected.

It's fake!
Although conspiracy theories are gaining strength, especially on social media, there is no evidence that electronic voting machines were hacked in Brazilian elections. Studies and audits carried out to date demonstrate that, while hackers can exploit theoretical flaws in controlled environments, the real context of elections, with their various layers of security, makes an attack on an electronic ballot box a highly unlikely scenario.

The debate about the security of our voting method is completely valid and even healthy, and when done with respectand truth, it exercises the citizenship of the Brazilian people.
Trust in electronic voting machines starts with the truth: don't let fake news decide for you.
Research sources:
Reporter: Letícia Vieira 
Editor: Cleidyane Vieira