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Hacking Democracy

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by Duncan McDowall

With electronic voting machines counting approximately 87% of votes in elections of all levels across America, voter rights activist Bev Harris, assisted by her loyal citizen brigade, exposes glaring and frightening security holes that mean that the vote count can be tampered with. In a style smacking of the mobilized citizen guerilla, directors Simon Ardizzone and Russell Michaels present a page from Bev’s battle log. Hacking Democracy is an engaging work of investigative reporting that ultimately leaves its viewers wondering: if a safe vote cannot be counted on, then can Democracy be counted on?

A trademark guerilla-style handheld point of view draws the viewers into Bev Harris’ furtive and tireless quest. Like Michael Moore’s early underdog rights invectives, the process is highly entertaining. Bev’s troops sift through garbage for proof, confront elections and government officials for recognition of the existence of a faulty system, and finally lobby for change. This fight sees them go all the way into the halls of government and big business, facing up against corpulent, dismissive, and condescending white collars.

Indeed, it is the host of refreshingly upright and politically engaged citizens that hold up this piece. Their vigilance and energy is difficult not to admire. At their vanguard, Bev Harris’ homespun common-sense belligerence is replete with the moxie of the emancipated citizen. The crux of the film comes when Bev asks why it is that more is not being done about this obvious flaw in the system: “if votes were dollars,” she admits, “the Feds would be all over this.”
The story culminates in a mini-election setup to test whether Harry Hersti, a Finnish computer specialist, can hack the vote. The undoing is beautifully punctuated with tears and a timely lull after the storm, but fails to be as conclusive and resounding as one would have liked. Electronic voting machines are ruled out in California, but despite Bev making her case in Ohio, a multi-million dollar order goes ahead as planned.

For all of the intellectual stimulation offered by Hacking Democracy, it is not exactly easy on the eyes. The “investigative” and candid nature of the shoot would necessarily dictate handheld shakes, shots from car windows, and restricted access to locations. And admittedly, the full extent of the guerilla shooting style could have been deliberate, but if anything some minor stylized interstitials with generic computer script to break up the pace would have sufficed. However, the subject matter and obvious effort invested into the cause makes up for the low budget feel.

Whether Hacking Democracy becomes that inspirational piece that motivates its viewers to pick up arms against inequities will entirely depend on how well the complex nature of the battle is received by the viewers. Ultimately, we are duly reminded that the dedication required to be a whistleblower means it’s not for everyone, and that the world unfortunately has too few Bev Harris's.
Dir. Simon Ardizzone and Russell Michaels
USA 2006, 82 mins

Hacking Democracy is released by ICA Films on Friday 20th April

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