Federal Agencies Ready for Election Day as Security, Fraud, Influence Threats Persist
Federal workers from across the board are doing their part to ensure a free, safe, and fair 2024 election. From fighting fraud to training local poll workers, federal officials are playing a key role.
It’s go time for the slew of federal workers charged with protecting and safeguarding the 2024 general election.
With early voting in full swing, and Election Day next week, officials are expressing confidence that this election will be safe and secure on a whole host of fronts.
“I can say with confidence based on all the work that we've done together since 2016, that election infrastructure has never been more secure,” said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly. “There are cyber threats, there are physical threats to election officials, but we're at a point now with our election infrastructure secure and the election community prepared to meet the moment on the 5th of November.”
Federal Roles
The federal government points out that while states have primary responsibility for handling elections, federal agencies and employees play a role in numerous activities including:
· Helping states protect the security of voting systems and related infrastructure
· Protecting the right to vote
· Addressing unlawful threats of violence and physical harm against election officials and workers
· Identifying and countering foreign influence
· Fighting election fraud and campaign finance violations
· Providing access to relevant information relation to the elections
Security
On the security front, it is a cooperative effort between agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), CISA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
These agencies guard against both physical and cyber threats, while USPIS is responsible for securing mail-in ballots.
Protecting the Right to Vote
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division ensures compliance with Federal statutes that protect the right to vote. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division monitors, including personnel from U.S. Attorneys’ Office, will monitor compliance at select locations in early voting and on election day.
Securing Polling Places
DOJ is charged with enforcing the law that prohibits voter intimidation and voter suppression through its Elections Threat Task Force, which also includes DHS and USPIS. The task force works with state and local law enforcement to investigate threats against election workers.
Meanwhile, CISA provides election infrastructure partners with no cost physical security assessments to identify vulnerabilities as well as best practice guides and trainings.
There is also cooperation with state and local partners, to help secure polling places.
Paulding County, Georgia, elections director Deirdre Holden told NPR that she attended safety workshops and is glad that sheriff’s deputy will be stationed at every polling place in the county.
“I will feel a lot safer with the deputies nearby,” Holden said, adding that she will have access to a panic button and had security cameras installed in the lobby and hallways.
Countering Foreign Influence
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the FBI take the lead to investigate efforts by overseas actors to influence U.S. elections.
That includes informing Congress and the American public about such threats as appropriate.
ODNI, the FBI, and CISA work to counter such threats “through disruption and deterrence measures, including through diplomatic pressure, public or private notifications, and financial sanctions.”
Fighting Election Fraud
When it comes to fighting election fraud, DOJ’s Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division plays a major role. That includes guarding against destruction of ballots, vote buying, multiple voting, changing votes, submission of false registrations, and more.
DOJ also enforces federal campaign finance laws.
However, DOJ notes that states on the front lines and that “DOJ’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.”
“It's important to remember that every state runs things a little bit differently — different equipment, different processes — and this decentralized and diverse nature of our election infrastructure actually creates enormous strength and resilience because it means it's not possible for a malicious actor to hack into our voting infrastructure in a way where you could have a material impact on the outcome of the presidential election; certainly not without being detected,” said Director Easterly.