Once seen as a useful tool to provide quick election results, voting machines with cellular modems are now subject to fierce debate over how easy it would be to break into them and change the results.

Such machines are certified for use in Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of State, Sarah Revell, defended the certification of such machines.

"Voting machines are not connected to the internet," Revell said in an email to McClatchy, adding that "it is important to note that when transmitting election data everything is encrypted and authenticated."