Armed Forces News

Defense Department officials have cancelled an Internet absentee-ballot program because of concerns about security. The Federal Voting Assistance Program, which aids Americans serving overseas in the voting process, will not use the SERVE system in November. The acronym stands for Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment. “The department has decided not to use the SERVE program in the November elections because of our inability to ensure the legitimacy of the votes,” a spokeswoman said. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz signed the memo on SERVE Jan. 30. The cancellation follows a report by four of the 10 computer security experts asked to test the system. Those four decided the system did not ensure the legitimacy of votes. The report they issued said there were a number of ways that computer hackers could crack into the system. Overseas voters can still vote by regular paper ballots or via fax.