The cryptography behind electronic voting (and why paper ballots are still essential)

Most U.S. midterm voters use paper ballots, protected by chain-of-custody protocols and statistical audits, despite cryptography enabling secure electronic systems. Cryptographic protocols like Helios and ElectionGuard provide vote secrecy and verifiable tallies, but Helios targets low-risk settings, while ElectionGuard supplements—not replaces—paper-based voting infrastructure for public elections.