In a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris, these experts - leaders in cybersecurity and computer science - called for recounts of US presidential election paper ballots in key states, citing unprecedented security vulnerabilities stemming from unauthorised access to voting software by Trump allies in 2021 and 2022. The breaches, they warn, enable malicious actors to replicate voting systems, probe for weaknesses, and potentially deploy malware to manipulate vote counts.

The experts emphasise the urgency of their call, noting that post-election audits in many states occur after certification, leaving a narrow window for recounts.

Their concerns, outlined in meticulous detail, reflect decades of collective expertise, including affiliations with institutions like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SRI International, and leading universities. They argue that recounts are essential to validate computer-generated tallies, particularly in an election where trust in the democratic process hangs in the balance.

The stakes are underscored by their dire warning:

Skilled adversaries can study this software for vulnerabilities and develop exploits capable of large-scale disruption.