From blockchain to ballot selfies, new technologies hold the promise of making voting easier and better. Unfortunately, sometimes that promise falls short in unexpected ways. In this workshop we will review the impact of new technologies on voting in America. We will examine the intended and unintended consequences of new technologies introduced to address specific problems, explore the friction caused between new technologies and old policies, and work together to develop a framework that can be used to assess potential solutions that aim to avoid creating new problems.
Maurice Turner is Senior Technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington, DC-based non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring the internet remains open, innovative and free. Supporting work across all of CDT’s programmatic areas, Turner focuses on the Election Security and Privacy Project identifying and updating election cybersecurity practices and infrastructure, and working through potential remedies. Turner brings a unique mix of formal education and practical work experience in technology and local, regional, and national policymaking to the Internet Architecture team. After receiving a bachelor’s in political science from Cal State Fullerton, he went on to earn a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California focusing on emerging communication technologies, privacy, and civic engagement. In addition, he holds a graduate certificate in cybersecurity strategy from Georgetown University, and has nearly a decade of municipal management experience complemented by numerous private-sector technology positions, fellowships, and internships.
Andre was Head of IT Security at Tanium, a cybersecurity software company, where he was responsible for security operations, engineering, incident response, and governance/risk/compliance of Tanium systems and networks worldwide. Most notably, Andre served as an FBI Cyber Special Agent in New York City, before being promoted to Supervisory Special Agent at FBI Headquarters in Washington DC. Before entering the FBI Academy at Quantico in 2009, Andre earned his degree from Brown University, and started his career at Goldman Sachs and Cardinal Health. He is on the Board of Directors for the National Cybersecurity Center and on the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee. In his free time, Andre is the technical consultant for the NBCUniversal TV show Mr. Robot.
Sheila leads Tusk Philanthropies with close to three decades of leadership in political, domestic policy and innovative nonprofit operations. Most recently, as the Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden and as a Deputy Assistant to President Obama, Sheila coordinated policy and communications for signature efforts serving veterans, teachers, students, and women and girls across the globe. Sheila previously worked on voter outreach plans for various presidential and gubernatorial campaigns, helped develop policies as Deputy Governor of Illinois and Chief of Staff to two US Senators, and coordinated resources across the country to fight poverty and disease in Sub-Saharan Africa as the U.S. Executive Director of Bono’s ONE Campaign. She is a graduate of Creighton University and the University of Chicago Law School. Sheila serves on the Board of Trustees of Creighton University and serves as an advisor to the Board of Save the Children.