Meet Mark Lindeman, our Director of Science and Technology Policy, whose work lies at the heart of what we do
Dear John,
Welcome to our new email series - stories straight from our Verified Voting team. We are all working tirelessly to make our elections secure and verifiable, and hope you’ll support us with a giftas we work towards November's elections.
Meet Mark Lindeman, our Director of Science and Technology Policy, whose work lies at the heart of what we do:
I spend much of my time at Verified Voting traveling around the country working with election officials on implementing risk-limiting audits (RLAs). I worked on RLAs since before they had a name. They have never been more important than they are right now because our elections – and our trust in elections – are under continual attack.
RLAs manually check a random sample of voters’ ballots. The idea is simple: RLAs provide evidence that the computers counted the ballots accurately. They provide reassurance when outcomes are right, as well as protection against hacks and errors that could produce wrong results.
I admire the many election officials who, year after year, cooperate across party lines to conduct elections and meet the needs of their staff and voters, often without enough resources. The current election landscape has been humbling - I’ve been struck by these officials’ resourcefulness and, at times, outright courage. My role with Verified Voting is to work alongside them to help implement transparent processes that will bolster confidence in our elections.
After far too many Zoom meetings in quarantine, in late May I finally got back on the road. First I drove to Dayton, Ohio to help Montgomery County election officials implement their first-ever RLA. Our planning paid off: the audit of the spring primary was completed in one morning.
This week, I was in Rhode Island helping officials conduct their first statewide RLA, building upon two pilots last year. I bring my technical expertise in statistical design and practical implementation of RLAs and election officials bring their own expertise and knowledge to the table. The challenge, and the joy, is in working together to tailor the audit design and process to meet local needs.
U.S. elections, at their best, exemplify Americans’ capacity to embrace our differences and overcome obstacles in defense of “government of, by, and for the people.” At Verified Voting, “the people” means ALL people. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to offer concrete tools in service of protecting the integrity of our elections.
With thanks,
Mark
Mark Lindeman
Director of Science and Technology Policy
