State officials, in an attempt to bolster voting security, have ordered that all counties have a signed contract by the end of 2019 with a company that provides voting systems with a paper ballot or paper receipt system.

In the wake the FBI's contention that Russian hackers targeted the voting systems of 21 states in the 2016 election, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is extending his audit of Pennsylvania's voting system.

“Based on the indictments unveiled last week against Russians who conspired to interfere with our 2016 election and revelations that stolen material about election candidates was distributed in Pennsylvania and other states, I am expanding the scope of my audit outreach to protect Pennsylvania's election system,” DePasquale said in a Tuesday news conference streamed on social media.

Shari Brewer, the county bureau of elections director, said she is open to any scrutiny.

“Everything we do is pretty much transparent,” Brewer said. “If we are doing something wrong, fine. Tell us so we can correct it.”

She said state officials, in an attempt to bolster voting security, have ordered that all counties have a signed contract by the end of 2019 with a company that provides voting systems with a paper ballot or paper receipt system.

While DePasquale feels President Donald Trump's “embarrassing display” in Helsinki, in which the President cast aspersions on the FBI's capability, behooves the states to ensure their own voting systems are secure, Brewer is skeptical.

She said those who push for voting systems that produce a paper trail to prevent hacking makes the hype worse by inflating people's fears.

“If they really want to increase security, they should change the way we administrate elections so we can do this more efficiently,” Brewer said.

Read Wednesday's Butler Eagle for the full story about what changes the voting audit will bring.