Secure Elections Act

Homeland Security
1

Secure Elections Act

Purpose:
To ensure the integrity, security, and transparency of federal elections through the implementation of advanced technological safeguards, stringent auditing procedures, and bipartisan accountability measures.

Title I: Development and Implementation of NSA Open-Source Election Software

Section 1: Creation of Open-Source Election Software

  1. The National Security Agency (NSA) shall develop, maintain, and provide a secure, open-source election software platform to be used in all electronic election systems.
  2. The software must adhere to federal standards for security, transparency, and auditability, established by an independent bipartisan technical commission.
  3. Updates and modifications to the software must undergo a transparent public review and approval process.

Section 2: Mandatory Implementation of Election Software

  1. All electronic election systems used in federal elections must install and exclusively use the NSA-provided software.
  2. Non-compliance by jurisdictions will result in penalties, including the withdrawal of federal election funding and potential legal action against responsible officials.

Title II: Federal Audit Regulations for Election Systems

Section 1: Audit Requirements

  1. A comprehensive audit process is mandated for all election systems, including:
  • Pre-election audits to verify system integrity and software installation.
  • Real-time monitoring and auditing during the election period.
  • Post-election audits to ensure accuracy and integrity of results.
  1. All audits must include hash verification of installed software binaries to confirm no tampering or unauthorized modifications.

Section 2: Reporting and Transparency

  1. Audit results must be published within 30 days of an election in a publicly accessible format.
  2. Jurisdictions failing to meet audit standards will face investigation by federal election authorities.

Title III: Air-Gapping of Election Systems

Section 1: Air-Gap Requirements

  1. All electronic election systems must be physically air-gapped from external networks during the election period, including early voting and ballot tabulation.
  2. Violations of this requirement will result in felony charges against responsible parties and immediate suspension of the compromised system.

Section 2: Security Measures

  1. Systems must undergo an independent verification process before and after air-gapping to ensure compliance.
  2. Emergency protocols must be established for securely retrieving and reporting election data without breaching air-gapping policies.

Title IV: Chain of Custody for Election Materials and Data

Section 1: Establishing a Chain of Custody

  1. Strict chain-of-custody requirements are established for all election materials, systems, and data, including physical ballots, electronic records, and audit logs.
  2. Each step in the handling process must be documented and signed by authorized personnel.

Section 2: Criminal Penalties for Breach of Custody

  1. Failure to adhere to chain-of-custody requirements will result in felony charges, with penalties including fines, imprisonment, and disqualification from holding election-related positions.

Title V: Blockchain Integration for Ballot-Level Verification

Section 1: Blockchain Technology Standards

  1. A secure blockchain system shall be integrated into the election process to verify and record the chain of custody at the individual ballot level.
  2. Blockchain records must be immutable, publicly verifiable, and accessible to authorized auditors and the public.

Section 2: Implementation and Oversight

  1. The federal government shall provide funding and technical support to states for integrating blockchain technology into their election systems.
  2. Election jurisdictions must provide regular reports on the status and functionality of their blockchain systems.

Title VI: Bipartisan Public Audits

Section 1: Bipartisan Representation

  1. Each federally recognized political party may appoint representatives to oversee audits of election systems and the chain of custody.
  2. Parties are entitled to access audit records, system logs, and blockchain verification data to ensure transparency.

Section 2: Public Access to Audit Results

  1. Audit findings must be made publicly available in an accessible format, allowing voters to independently verify the integrity of the election process.
  2. Independent auditors, approved by a bipartisan commission, may be engaged to validate findings.

Title VII: Implementation and Enforcement

Section 1: Effective Date

  1. This Act shall take effect no later than one year after its passage and signature into law.

Section 2: Oversight and Penalties

  1. A Federal Election Security Task Force, comprised of bipartisan appointees, shall oversee the implementation of this Act.
  2. Violations of this Act will result in severe penalties, including criminal charges, fines, and the invalidation of compromised election results.