Secretary of state visits Dexter Regional High School

DEXTER — On Tuesday, April 23, the Secretary of State for Maine, Matthew Dunlap, paid a visit to the Dexter Regional High School’s Current Events class to answer student questions about how the state secures our elections.

The ballots are on paper and a digital machine counts the ballots, which means the ballots cannot be hacked online. The state scans the voter registration cards, which Dunlap stated were also very secure. This information is protected by a heavy firewall to prevent third parties from getting access to the election information online. Post-elections, ballots are kept in a case sealed by a padlock and all ballots are accounted for. Tallies are put together and the rankings are run in a high speed tabulation program that is not connected to the Internet.

Photo courtesy of Dexter Regional High School
VISIT FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE — The Dexter Regional High School Current Events class had Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap as a guest speaker on April 23. Dunlap discussed the election process and how the students can get involved in government.

Dunlap also touched base on Russia and attempts to sway voters in our recent elections through disinformation. In an inspiring presentation, the students learned about awareness of Internet dangers.

The secretary of state closed with what students can do to make changes in their local government and how they can make a difference by being a leader. He says to get involved, do your research, talk to local representatives and senators and seek help and support from teachers.

The Dexter Regional High School class thoroughly enjoyed Matthew Dunlap’s visit and appreciated the time he offered to speak with them.