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octoberlib

(14,971 posts) Sat Jul 14, 2018, 05:08 AM Jul 2018

Russian w/ close ties to Putin bought Maryland voter registration platform

Last edited Sat Jul 14, 2018, 05:49 AM - Edit history (2)

Top Maryland officials say the FBI told them this week that the state's voter registration platform was purchased by a Russian oligarch in 2015, without state officials knowing. The FBI did not indicate a breach occurred, but state officials say they're moving forward with a full review.

"We were briefed late yesterday, along with Governor Hogan, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the software vendor who maintains portions of the State Board of Elections voter registration platform was purchased by a Russian investor in 2015, without the knowledge of state officials," Maryland State Senate President Thomas Mike Miller, Jr. and Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch, said in a joint statement Friday.

State officials say they were told they were told their voter registration system, ByteGrid LLC, is financed by AltPoint Capital Partners, whose fund manager is "a Russian" and largest investor is Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin. ByteGrid LLC performs a vast array of voting-related functions for the state, including voter registration, the state's online voter registration system, online ballot delivery and unofficial election night results.

"While the FBI did not indicate that there was a breach, we were concerned enough to ask Attorney General [Brian] Frosh to review the existing contractual obligation of the state, as well as asked for a review of the system to ensure there have been no breaches," Miller and Busch said.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maryland-voter-registration-platform-russian-oligarch/

Oh and look here, he’s got “close ties to Vladimir Putin”

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/30/politics/full-us-list-of-russian-oligarchs-with-putin-ties-intl/index.html

16 replies

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Highlight:

Russian w/ close ties to Putin bought Maryland voter registration platform (Original Post) octoberlib Jul 2018 OP

This begs the question, why is a hedge fund octoberlib Jul 2018 #1

This. WTF? Squinch Jul 2018 #4

Why is anyone? NewJeffCT Jul 2018 #13

Outsourcing will be the downfall of the United States groundloop Jul 2018 #2

Yes it will. This is ridiculous. How can it be octoberlib Jul 2018 #3

Why do private people own voting platforms? UCmeNdc Jul 2018 #5

Utter lack of due diligence on the part of the State of Laura PourMeADrink Jul 2018 #7

On edit... checking with the SOS may not have told Laura PourMeADrink Jul 2018 #8

Yep, LLC's are designed to hide things , anyway. octoberlib Jul 2018 #10

Paper ballots now. Sorry if it's inconvenient. Sorry if it takes longer. It's necessary. Vinca Jul 2018 #6

And tinkering with registrations can skim our Laura PourMeADrink Jul 2018 #9

Maryland has paper ballots now Orangepeel Jul 2018 #14

Paper ballots should be required. Lonestarblue Jul 2018 #11

tRump was right, the voting was rigged. pazzyanne Jul 2018 #12

He always accuses others of his own crimes. Serious "tell" Laura PourMeADrink Jul 2018 #15

He knew. dalton99a Jul 2018 #16

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)

1. This begs the question, why is a hedge fund

Reply to octoberlib (Original post)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 05:28 AM

Jul 2018

allowed to buy a voter registration platform?

Squinch

(50,955 posts)

4. This. WTF?

Reply to octoberlib (Reply #1)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 06:38 AM

Jul 2018

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)

13. Why is anyone?

Reply to octoberlib (Reply #1)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 07:54 AM

Jul 2018

for that matter

groundloop

(11,519 posts)

2. Outsourcing will be the downfall of the United States

Reply to octoberlib (Original post)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 05:38 AM

Jul 2018

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)

3. Yes it will. This is ridiculous. How can it be

Reply to groundloop (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 05:46 AM

Jul 2018

secure for any foreigner to own voting platforms?

UCmeNdc

(9,600 posts)

5. Why do private people own voting platforms?

Reply to octoberlib (Reply #3)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 06:42 AM

Jul 2018

Laura PourMeADrink

(42,770 posts)

7. Utter lack of due diligence on the part of the State of

Reply to octoberlib (Reply #3)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 06:51 AM

Jul 2018

Maryland was my first thought. But if the platform was purchased by the State before the oligarch bought into the company there may not have been any way to know? Unless they periodically checked ownership with the secretary of state the LLC was formed in. It should be part of ongoing routine.

Laura PourMeADrink

(42,770 posts)

8. On edit... checking with the SOS may not have told

Reply to Laura PourMeADrink (Reply #7)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 07:01 AM

Jul 2018

Them that a part of an LLC was sold. Especially if it is nefarious.

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)

10. Yep, LLC's are designed to hide things , anyway.

Reply to Laura PourMeADrink (Reply #8)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 07:12 AM

Jul 2018

Money- launderers use them.

Vinca

(50,276 posts)

6. Paper ballots now. Sorry if it's inconvenient. Sorry if it takes longer. It's necessary.

Reply to octoberlib (Original post)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 06:45 AM

Jul 2018

Laura PourMeADrink

(42,770 posts)

9. And tinkering with registrations can skim our

Reply to Vinca (Reply #6)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 07:04 AM

Jul 2018

Voters off. When I work the polls there are lots of people turned away who are not on lists and aren't even sure if they did or didn't register.

Orangepeel

(13,933 posts)

14. Maryland has paper ballots now

Reply to Vinca (Reply #6)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 08:06 AM

Jul 2018

Maryland switched to optical scanning of paper ballots for the 2016 election
http://marylandreporter.com/2013/11/19/maryland-prepares-move-back-to-paper-ballots-for-elections/

Good thing, too, since in the primary last month, a few races ended up with single digit wins. They are still recounting the ballots in the primary for Baltimore County executive!
https://bsun.md/2KTQA9N

Lonestarblue

(10,011 posts)

11. Paper ballots should be required.

Reply to octoberlib (Original post)

Sat Jul 14, 2018, 07:21 AM

Jul 2018

We also know that Russians hacked into the voting systems of 39 states. Our election systems are not safe. For the 2018 election, we should all insist on paper ballots (to be held as backup for at least six months instead of being shredded after scanning as some states do). We also need multiple monitors from both major parties overseeing the scanning of completed ballots, as well as a hand count as backup to ensure that the programming of vote totals has not been hacked. Hackers have shown that it takes seconds for them to gain access to the computerized systems that most states use. We do not know whether Russia changed any votes in 2016, but they (or any other hackers) could easily do so. Absent a hand count of paper ballots, independent computer experts should be on hand to monitor the programming at the time vote totals are calculated to ensure that no programming changes undercount or overcount votes from certain precincts. For example, it would be very easy to program the aggregation of votes to count mostly Republican precincts at 1.05% and mostly Democratic precincts at 0.95%, thus changing the outcome in close races. Without precautions like this, we have no way of knowing whether the people the voters choose are the winners and our elections are fair.