Electronic voting systems aren’t  new, but when they are running outdated software, they are vulnerable to hacking. Similar to how your computer needs operating system updates to protect your information from malicious threats and cyber attacks, electronic voting systems need to be updated and secure. Multiple reports and federal standards call into question the security of many of the voting systems used.

Adding to the concerns about the security of the voting systems is the fact that two of the main companies that make the voting machines were Dominion and Election Systems, LLC–both brands rely on parts from China, making these machines particularly vulnerable to interference. Smartmatic, another commonly used voting system in the United States has close ties to Venezuela.

This raises questions not only about electronic security, but foreign interference as well.