Upcoming Events

Hacking Democracy: Technology, The Internet & Politics

March 5, 2020 | 3:30 p.m. | LSU Journalism Building | Holliday Forum

With a new presidential election cycle dawning, the voting public is questioning the security of the nation’s election systems. After the 2016 Presidential Election thrust the vulnerability of our voting technology to the forefront of conversation in the United States, there has been much discussion surrounding the security of future elections, as well as the use of social media as a tool to distribute divisive and false information. The Reilly Center’s annual John Breaux Symposium, entitled “Hacking Democracy: Technology, the Internet & Politics,” will explore how foreign interference aimed destabilizing political conversation, stoking racial tensions and spreading disinformation across social media platforms has led to ever-increasing friction among the voting population. Experts will discuss the integrity of our voting technology, and whether or not automated machines are actually secure. We will also investigate the depth of susceptibility in our nation’s election systems, as well as foreign interference in our democratic process.