The voting machine certification gauntlet is text book regulatory capture. Meaning the vendors themselves fund and run the testing labs (last time I checked).
Further, since appropriations are (mostly) done locally, the "surface area" is quite big. Like the parable of the boy plugging the dyke with his fingers.
For example, I was able to block the purchase and use of gear that added the voter's id to their ballot. In my jurisdiction alone. There are roughly 2,000 counties in the USA. So to protect everyone's secret ballot, that fight would have to recur many, many times.
Alas, saving democracy doesn't pay very well, nor does it scale.
Further, since appropriations are (mostly) done locally, the "surface area" is quite big. Like the parable of the boy plugging the dyke with his fingers.
For example, I was able to block the purchase and use of gear that added the voter's id to their ballot. In my jurisdiction alone. There are roughly 2,000 counties in the USA. So to protect everyone's secret ballot, that fight would have to recur many, many times.
Alas, saving democracy doesn't pay very well, nor does it scale.