"While [election] technologies open up new frontiers and offer new possibilities for the electoral process, especially for voting operations, there may be unforeseen risks involved, such as an increase in vote selling or difficulty in auditing election results. Careful consideration also needs to be given to the risks of inappropriate or untimely introduction of technology, especially if it has the potential to compromise transparency, local ownership or sustainability of the electoral process. Cybersecurity in elections has and will continue to receive attention from the public, governments and media. Although technological improvements to the administration of elections can be substantial, these gains must be balanced with the potential for new vulnerabilities and problems. Many of the countries that experimented with e-voting, for example, are now returning to pen and paper or scrapping their pilot projects because of security issues. When abandoning technologies is infeasible, good preparation can help mitigate similar cybersecurity risks. In recognition of the importance of cybersecurity in elections, ACE has a separate Encyclopaedia entry on the topic, based on a white paper produced by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an ACE partner. To go to the Cybersecurity in Elections entry, click here."