Letter: Russia interference is a warning to U.S. voters

Educated voting and accurate election results are the most fundamental and critical components in implementing a true democracy. The U.S. democratic form of government cannot continue to function unless and until we protect our country against any invasion of these rights.

The Mueller report concluded that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election occurred “in sweeping and systematic fashion” and “violated U.S. criminal law” [“Mueller: Trump not cleared,” News, May 30].

It describes two methods by which Russia tried to influence the presidential election: a social media campaign that supported Donald Trump’s campaign, and computer hacking by Russian military intelligence that led to the release of damaging material stolen from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party.

We must take these invasions by a foreign country very seriously. No longer can we limit our country to military defenses. We must better arm ourselves with cyberpower and technical prowess.

Each one of us, as educated voters, must learn to critique what we read or hear or see in the media, and the social media, seeking documentation and trustworthy accuracy. In addition, to guarantee an accurate count, every state must use voting machines that involve paper ballots.

Rita Edwards,

  Centereach