Electronic voting systems could leave systems exposed to cyber attacks from other countries, the former head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, has said. Traditional pencil and paper voting is “much more secure”, says Sawers, as electronic voting could lead to similar allegations of hacking as the recent US elections. The Electoral Commission is proposing “radical” changes to the voting system, with John Bercow, House of Commons Speaker, stating that secure online voting should be a option for the 2020 general election. In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Cameron said he was not aware of any evidence that Russia had attempted to hack into UK electoral systems.
Electronic voting systems could leave systems exposed to cyber attacks from other countries, the former head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, has said. Traditional pencil and paper voting is “much more secure”, says Sawers, as electronic voting could lead to similar allegations of hacking as the recent US elections. The Electoral Commission is proposing “radical” changes to the voting system, with John Bercow, House of Commons Speaker, stating that secure online voting should be a option for the 2020 general election. Online voting supporters say that digital options will encourage turnout, particularly for younger citizens.