Russia's not the question

The question is not "Did Russia interfere with the 2016 presidential election?"

They did. We know this.

The real question is "What are we going to do to prevent further attacks on our elections – now and in the future?"

I introduced a bill called the Protecting American Votes and Elections (PAVE) Act. It requires the use of paper ballots and regular "risk-limiting" audits for all federal elections. That's the most secure way to ensure election results have not been manipulated by hackers or foreign adversaries like Russia.

Leaving the fate of America's democracy up to hackable election machines is like leaving your front door unlocked and putting up a sign that says 'out of town.' After their success in 2016, the Russians have made clear that they're going to try to interfere in our elections again.

It's not a question of if bad guys try to get in, it's just a question of how and when.

According to election security experts, the provisions in my bill are necessary to give voters the confidence they need to participate and to know their voice counts.

We must protect democracy's most precious asset — the integrity of our elections.

Ron