
Ask HN: How easily could russian hackers manipulate a U.S. election? - itsevrgrn
What would they have to achieve this technically?
======
k4ch0w
Well if you could change the source code on the voting machine it's something
as simple as you show the Voter their choice to confirm on the frontend but
the backend has been manipulated to always vote for someone else instead. The
voter would never know their choice was altered. An example is as simple as
the following:

def selectCandidate(voter_id, choice):

    
    
        if choice == 1:
           return {"Voter":voter_id, "Displaychoice": "Candidate 1", "Choice": "Candidate 1"}
    
    
        if choice == 2:
           return return {"Voter":voter_id, "Displaychoice": "Candidate 2", "Choice": "Candidate 1"}
    
    
        if choice == 3:
           return return {"Voter":voter_id, "Displaychoice": "Candidate 3", "Choice": "Candidate 1"}
    
        raise Exception("Should never happen :-p")

------
some_account
Why the heck are you worrying about Russians? Don't you realize it's just a
media thing to point, the finger at someone to be worried about?

Elections are not a democratic process in any of the big nations. Why do you
think every president in America are basically related and family?

~~~
HiroshiSan
Seems more likely that if your father was president he could groom you and
guide you to the path towards being president, similarly to how if your
parents went to an ivy league, they'd know what's required to get into an ivy
league or at least be a strong candidate, I don't think it's some sort of
conspiracy as your post suggests.

------
andrei_says_
I’m more worried about the Lesters.

[https://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_...](https://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim/up-
next)

