In June 2024, Puerto Rico’s primary elections were plagued by unsettling anomalies. Vote totals didn’t align with physical ballot counts, systems inexplicably reversed results, and some candidates received zero votes despite clear support. Officials initially attributed these failures to a simple “software issue,” but the implications were far more profound.
The problems largely went unnoticed by mainland media, yet they triggered a critical re-evaluation of Puerto Rico’s contract with Dominion Voting Systems as the November election loomed. Concerns about the integrity of the voting process were rapidly escalating, demanding answers.
An investigation, previously undisclosed, was launched in May by a team working under the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. While initial reports suggested a focus on potential Venezuelan interference, the scope of the inquiry was actually much broader – a deep dive into the vulnerabilities of Puerto Rico’s electronic voting infrastructure.
The investigation didn’t definitively prove Venezuelan involvement, but it *did* uncover evidence of foreign influence. Details remain obscured, but the findings were serious enough to prompt a thorough examination of the systems in place. Puerto Rican authorities had specifically requested the review following the troubling primary election results.
What emerged was deeply concerning: critical cybersecurity flaws and questionable operational practices that posed a significant risk to U.S. elections. These weren’t isolated incidents, but rather inherent weaknesses within many “black box” voting systems reliant on proprietary software and inaccessible source code.
The vulnerabilities were shockingly basic. Dominion Voting Systems, for example, had login credentials – including “SAdmin” and “dvscorp08!” – hardcoded directly into the software in plain text. This wasn’t a new discovery; similar issues led California to reject Sequoia Voting Systems back in 2007.
The revelations surrounding Gabbard’s investigation have been met with intense scrutiny and attacks from certain media outlets, fueled by allegations of misconduct and questionable whistleblower complaints. However, the Intelligence Community Inspector General found these complaints lacked credibility.
Despite the IGIC’s assessment, concerns remain within Congress regarding the DNI’s handling of the situation and whether proper notification procedures were followed. Gabbard herself has pointed out that she is not obligated to report on claims deemed unsubstantiated, defending her actions against what she calls “blatantly false and slanderous” accusations.
The situation in Puerto Rico serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of electronic voting systems and the urgent need for transparency and robust security measures to safeguard the integrity of elections.
