VIRGINIA (NEXSTAR) — Super Tuesday is tomorrow, and that means Virginians will be heading to the polls.
But how secure will the elections be?
“All voters ought to have confidence that their vote is going to be counted and counted accurately in a timely fashion,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said.
With Super Tuesday in sight and Virginia up for grabs, Warner wants voters to trust the process, despite confirmation of Russian attempts to influence the outcome.
“They are back trying to intervene right now. We’ve gotten better but they’ve gotten better as well and this is where we really need to focus,” Warner said.
Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger says the Russians are trying to create chaos.
“Even that threat is undermining or could undermine the belief in the thought process of the American voter,” Spanberger said.
The commonwealth already has security measures like paper ballot backups and upgraded polling machines locked away until Election Day. But Warner says the worry isn’t just at the polls, but on social media as well.
“If a Russian bot or troll, amplifies a phony story and represents that they’re fellow Virginians, that can influence our debate,” Warner said.
Lawmakers see the internet and social media as something that can make or break the process.
“Their intentions are not new. Their efforts are not new. The means by which they can execute on these intentions are what’s new,” Spanberger said.
Facebook confirms they have a security team dedicated to shutting down foreign activity meant to influence the election.
Primary polls open in Virginia at 6 a.m.