By T.McDonald
Fargo, ND – The Democrat-endorsed candidate for Secretary of State says plans to allow ballots to be e-mailed from voters overseas poses a significant privacy risk. Doug Melby says North Dakota is one of two states that will allow the ballot's to be returned by e-mail. He says at regular polling places there is privacy, and a system of checks and balances - which is missing under the e-mail method...
"...What's going to happen is voters overseas -- in the military and civilian -- will have their vote sent to the Pentagon. The Pentagon will forward those votes -- which are unsecure and not private -- to a private contractor in Virginia. And, in turn, that private contractor will send the votes via fax to the various states that opt to participate in this."
Secretary of State Al Jaeger calls the criticism misguided and says the choice to cast a secret ballot is still available - if a person overseas casts it by regular mail. He says voters can also by-pass the private contractor by faxing their ballots directly to their local county auditor.