Election Officials Face Weakened Federal Threat-Sharing Before Midterms
U.S. intelligence officials are monitoring attempts by Russia, China and Iran to sway voters, but election security experts say federal program cuts have made it harder to get threat information to state and local election officials before the November 3 midterms. They also describe foreign disinformation fueled by artificial intelligence as part of the threat environment.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which coordinated election security work in earlier cycles, has recently tried to establish a new information-sharing channel. CISA says it has launched a tool for authorized federal, state and local partners, who can request access. The agency did not say how many election officials had used it.
A classified briefing for election officials in mid-October was disrupted by technical problems and later rescheduled. Experts say the new channel lacks the credibility of earlier arrangements. One election security expert said officials often do not know whom to contact during a cyber or physical incident; another said officials from both parties are not actively sharing cybersecurity information with federal authorities.
Election administrators’ confidence has also been affected by the administration’s pursuit of election-fraud claims and willingness to intervene in state-run elections, experts say. Officials have spent months or years preparing for possible federal intervention, including consulting lawyers about the limits of federal authority. Some experts worry those preparations divert time and resources from foreign threats.
CISA says it remains equipped to address national security cyber threats and offers state and local officials and election vendors voluntary, no-cost technical help, vulnerability scanning and resilience support. The owner of Liberty Vote, which supplies election equipment in 26 states, said federal assistance has fallen short of past years and expressed hope that dialogue would improve.
Federal Cuts Leave Election Officials With Less Protection From Foreign Threats
Russia, China and Iran remain active in efforts to influence American voters, while federal cuts have weakened the channels election officials need to hear about those threats. With the midterms days away, experts say the administration has left state and local officials with less support and less confidence in federal coordination.
CISA once played a central role in election security, but experts say its recent attempt to rebuild information-sharing has little of the trust earlier arrangements had. The agency says it has launched a tool for authorized government partners, but has not said how many election officials have accessed it. A mid-October classified briefing also had to be rescheduled after technical problems.
The problem, experts say, is not only capacity. The administration’s pursuit of election-fraud claims and readiness to step into state-run elections have left administrators uncertain about federal motives. Election officials are preparing for possible intervention and consulting lawyers about the limits of federal authority—work that some experts fear is taking resources away from foreign threats.
CISA says it remains equipped to address cyber threats and provides voluntary, no-cost technical assistance, vulnerability scanning and resilience support. But election security experts describe information-sharing as having dried up, and the owner of Liberty Vote, whose equipment is used in 26 states, says federal assistance has not matched past years. The stakes are clear: officials confronting foreign interference should not have to fill a federal information gap themselves.
Foreign Election Threats Persist as Federal Officials Rebuild Coordination
Foreign efforts to influence U.S. voters remain a real security concern as the November 3 midterms approach. Intelligence officials are tracking activity by Russia, China and Iran, and election officials must stay focused on those threats even amid disputes over federal coordination.
CISA says it has launched an information-sharing tool that authorized federal, state and local partners can access upon request. The agency also says it remains equipped to address national security cyber threats and offers election officials and vendors voluntary, no-cost technical expertise, vulnerability scanning and resilience support.
Experts say federal cuts have made threat communication harder and that the new channel has not earned the trust of earlier election-security efforts. A classified briefing in mid-October was delayed after technical problems, then rescheduled. Those shortcomings deserve attention, but so does the agency’s stated effort to provide support as foreign adversaries continue their activity.
Election administrators are also preparing for possible federal intervention and consulting lawyers about the boundaries of federal authority. Some experts warn this work may draw resources from foreign threats. The challenge is to protect election security without allowing distrust to further reduce information-sharing; the owner of Liberty Vote says federal engagement has been weaker than in past years and hopes dialogue improves.
