Mark Cook@PatriotMarkCook
Emergency Notice: Critical Exploit Vector in Early Voting and Pre-Poll-Close Tabulation Processes – Broad Compromise Scenarios
Date: April 7, 2026
To: All State and Local Election Officials, Election Directors, and County Clerks
Subject: Immediate Action Required – Prohibition of BMD and DRE Systems Due to Irremediable Data Exfiltration Risk from Vendor or Third-Party Infiltration
This notice details a sophisticated manipulation vector involving real-time voter turnout tracking combined with actual early vote data. When voting systems can be infiltrated—whether by a compromised vendor or third-party bad actors—the systems cannot be trusted or used, as they enable undetectable exfiltration of precise vote data that can be leveraged for targeted ballot stuffing prior to poll closure.
Threat Description
Sophisticated actors, including compromised vendors or third-party bad actors who have infiltrated systems through hacking, supply-chain attacks, insider access, remote exploits, or any other available means, can harvest real-time voter check-in data alongside actual tabulated vote results from Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs) and Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines during early voting.
This enables dynamic modeling to determine the exact number, type, and distribution of fraudulent ballots needed to offset legitimate votes. Infiltrated BMDs and DREs can exfiltrate vote data through hidden channels regardless of physical seals, network disconnection attempts, or claimed security features. Because these systems generate and store vote data in real time while voters are still casting ballots, the harvested information allows precision adjustments via mail-in or drop-box stuffing before polls close. Post-poll-closure use is impossible, as voting ends when polls close. Therefore, BMD and DRE systems present an irremediable risk and cannot be deployed in any capacity if system trustworthiness cannot be independently verified against all infiltration vectors.
How the Exploit Can Be Executed
▫️BMDs and DREs capture and potentially transmit exact vote totals during active voting periods.
▫️Combined with poll-book data, this creates a real-time predictive model for surgical ballot stuffing.
▫️Infiltration (vendor or third-party) allows covert data extraction even from ostensibly secured or air-gapped systems.
▫️Fraudulent ballots are then injected to precisely offset real votes, defeating audits based on compromised machine baselines.
Required Mitigation Steps
Election officials shall implement the following controls immediately. These measures assume BMD and DRE systems are fully untrustworthy due to infiltration risks and prohibit their use entirely.
Prohibition of BMD and DRE Systems
Immediately cease all use of Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs) and Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines for any voting.
▫️Do not deploy these systems at any point in the election cycle, including early voting or Election Day, as no post-poll-closure voting window exists.
▫️Transition exclusively to hand-marked paper ballots as the sole method of recording voter intent.
Secure Handling of Existing Paper Ballots
▫️Treat all previously cast ballots on BMD-printed records as paper-only where possible, subject to full hand count.
▫️Store all ballots in tamper-evident, sequentially numbered containers under continuous bipartisan or multi-party observation.
▫️Prohibit any machine tabulation or data output from compromised systems.
Chain-of-Custody and Processing Protocols
▫️Keep all mail-in and drop-box ballots sealed and unprocessed until after poll closure.
▫️Perform all tabulation via hand count or independently verified, non-vendor-dependent methods after polls close.
▫️Reconcile totals solely against voter check-in records using paper-based procedures.
Mandatory Paper-Based Verification
▫️Conduct full hand counts or rigorous risk-limiting audits based exclusively on original hand-marked paper ballots.
▫️Ignore all data or totals originating from BMDs or DREs.
▫️Publish precinct-level results only after independent paper-based verification and certification.
Immediate Notification and Escalation
▫️Distribute this notice to all poll workers and observers.
▫️Report any continued use or suspected data exfiltration from BMD/DRE systems to state and federal election security officials immediately.
▫️Engage independent forensic auditors for equipment assessment where prior use occurred.
Critical Guidance
BMD and DRE systems cannot be used safely when infiltration by vendors or third-party actors is possible, because they enable real-time data exfiltration during active voting, with no viable window for secure post-closure operation. The only reliable mitigation is complete prohibition and exclusive reliance on hand-marked paper ballots under strict human oversight. Election officials bear ultimate responsibility and cannot delegate integrity to potentially compromised electronic systems.
Failure to prohibit BMD and DRE use exposes the election to undetectable manipulation. Officials are directed to confirm receipt and implementation status, including confirmation of transition to hand-marked paper ballots, to their state election authority within 48 hours.
- End of Notice -
