SANTA FE – New Mexico credits its reliance on paper ballots in part for making it less vulnerable to hackers and vote thieves.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that election officials say New Mexico was not among the 21 states where Russian hackers were accused of targeting voting systems last year.
All 33 counties in the state use paper ballots after the state Legislature approved a law in 2006 requiring the physical ballots for any election held under state law. The ballots are counted with electronic scanners, and a paper trail is created that’s stored for nearly two years after most elections.
Despite the added safety, experts say there are still possible ways to tamper with elections in states that use paper ballots.
