Learn how quantum physics is used to secure electronic communications and could be applied to electronic voting systems, in this video from NOVA Digital. Information that is transmitted electronically—like an email, text, or electronic vote—is protected by encryption. Quantum mechanics offers two methods of encryption. The first involves generating and distributing an encryption key using quantum particles such as photons. If a hacker intercepts this key, the quantum particles will be affected and the recipient will know the encryption is compromised. The second method relies on a process known as quantum teleportation—quantum-entangled particles transmit information instantly between them even at a distance. This resource is part of the NOVA: Web-Original Collection.