USENIX Security '26 (Enigma Track) - Verifiable Elections—Now Is the Time

Verifiable Elections—Now Is the Time

Josh Benaloh, Microsoft Research

We have a crisis of confidence in elections today in the U.S. and in many parts of the world. Voters are asked to "trust the process" without being given direct evidence that their votes have been counted correctly. We can do better!

Technology has existed for over four decades that allows voters to independently verify that their votes have been accurately counted – without having to trust any election software, hardware, or personnel. This technology is now mature, practical, easy to use, and has been deployed in public elections.

This talk will describe what it means for an election to be publicly verifiable, provide a high-level view of how these systems work, and reflect on lessons learned from real-world deployments. It will also discuss how individuals can help drive the adoption of verifiable election technology in their own jurisdictions.

View the full USENIX Security '26 program at https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity26/technical-sessions