Rich DeMillo Talk: 'Roots of Distrust: Modern Technology and the Impact of a 19th Century Voter Suppression Plan'

Rich DeMillo, Professor and Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair in Computing, will be presenting a talk at the IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series!

Talk Abstract

Much effort is devoted these days to understanding the root cause of distrust in election systems. Little effort is devoted to understanding the relationship between election technology and the historically significant distrust in populations whose rights have been denied. In this talk, I will first draw connections between the modern language used to justify the computerization of elections and the language of the Post-Reconstruction revision of the constitution of the state of Mississippi. I will use this analogy to bolster the argument that in modern times building "trust" in elections is counter-productive and that energy is better spent on developing confidence-building evidence-based methods for reaching agreement on election outcomes.

About the Series

The IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series is free and features guest speakers presenting on topics related to people-centered technologies and their impact on society. Lunch is provided at 12:00 p.m. and the talks begin at 12:30 p.m. Join us weekly or watch video replays. Most lectures are held in the Technology Square Research Building (TSRB) 1st floor ballroom.