Russia Is Seeking to Delegitimize the U.S. Electoral System

Rick Hasen: “So if the Russians are not actually changing our election results, what might they be doing? The hacks and probing of election systems generate headlines which can undermine the public’s trust in the electoral process. As CNN noted, the hacks have already caused people to be suspicious about the election. And this feeds exactly into Donald Trump’s irresponsible statements that the vote will be rigged or stolen. In a close race, it is possible that Trump won’t concede and will instead create turmoil and threaten what we take for granted: the peaceful transition of political power between presidencies.”

“In short, the Russian hacking of our elections should be seen for what it is: an attempt to manipulate and destabilize the U.S., with an unwitting assist from an irresponsible presidential candidate spewing unsupported claims about rigged elections.”