Hacking Democracy Film

“Hacking Democracy” is a groundbreaking documentary directed by Simon Ardizzone and Russell Michaels that sheds light on the vulnerabilities and risks associated with electronic voting systems in the United States. The film follows the investigation conducted by Bev Harris and her team as they uncover secrecy, flawed software, and potential manipulation of elections by the Diebold corporation. Through a daring demonstration known as the “Hursti Hack,” expert hacker Harri Hursti successfully exposes the ability to change votes while undetectable within the Diebold voting system, prompting an investigation by UC Berkeley that confirms the hack’s validity.

Despite the controversy and push-back from Diebold, the film emphasizes the importance of transparency and the need to safeguard the integrity of elections, especially as the same hack-able Diebold software is still in use across the country, counting votes in 28 states.