EXPLAINER: Threats to US election security grow more complex
2 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: Threats to US election security grow more complex

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Top U.S. election security officials say protecting the nation’s voting systems has become increasingly challenging. With the midterm elections just days away, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, and other officials say they have no evidence that election infrastructure has been altered by hostile actors to prevent voting or vote counting, compromise ballots or affect voter registration accuracy. Here are some of the potential threats agencies are assessing through Election Day: THREATS FROM WITHIN Insider threats are a growing concern and could undermine serious strides made to secure voting systems — including migrating to hand-marked paper ballots and introducing reliable audits — since they were declared critical national infrastructure in January 2017. In a pre-election report, the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said it was “almost certain” that networks associated with the group “are engaging in covert malign influence on a subset of the U.S. population.” On Thursday, the social media analysis firm Graphika reported that suspected Russian operatives have been disseminating on far-right media platforms beginning Oct. 29 political cartoons disparaging Democratic candidates in tight statewide races in Georgia, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

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History of this topic

Bomb threats disrupted what was otherwise relatively smooth voting on Election Day
Trending News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bomb threats disrupted what was otherwise relatively smooth voting on Election Day

NPR  

Bomb threats disrupted what was otherwise relatively smooth voting on Election Day toggle caption Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images Bomb threats that U.S. officials linked to Russian email domains disrupted what was generally a smooth voting experience across America on Election Day. Intelligence officials had previously said they were “observing foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, conducting additional influence operations intended to …

Election day plagued by bomb threats, arrests and broken machines as America hits the polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Election day plagued by bomb threats, arrests and broken machines as America hits the polls

Daily Mail  

America's divisive presidential election got off to a rocky start on Tuesday, with reports of bomb threats, arrests, and faulty polling machines disrupting voting, including in four battleground states. Elsewhere in Georgia, election officials had to evacuate two polling locations in Union City in Fulton County after bomb threats were called in by a 'foreign state actor,' said Secretary of …

Trial over leak of Colorado voting system passwords occurs a day before election
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Trial over leak of Colorado voting system passwords occurs a day before election

Raw Story  

A one-day trial over whether election machines in 34 Colorado counties should be shut down took place in Denver District Court on Monday, a day before the general election. Colorado officials said Friday that state employees had completed the process of updating passwords on election equipment in affected counties. The press release said the secretary of state first learned of …

Combatting Persistent Election Interference Fears
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Combatting Persistent Election Interference Fears

Bloomberg  

00:00 We rely and go to your sister in cyber readiness expertise here because we understand the misinformation concerns. And our election officials, our election infrastructure stakeholders have never been more prepared to administer a safe, secure and resilient election. What's important to note is that after the 2016 election, elections themselves became critical infrastructure, which means that we determined …

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls

China Daily  

By BELINDA ROBINSON in New York and LINDA DENG in Seattle | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-11-05 13:36 Federal and state officials have increased security measures at polling stations for voters and election workers nationwide for the 2024 presidential election. "As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department's warning remains clear: Anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer …

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls

China Daily  

By BELINDA ROBINSON in New York and LINDA DENG in Seattle | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-11-05 13:36 Federal and state officials have increased security measures at polling stations for voters and election workers nationwide for the 2024 presidential election. "As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department's warning remains clear: Anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer …

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls

China Daily  

By BELINDA ROBINSON in New York and LINDA DENG in Seattle | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-11-05 13:36 Federal and state officials have increased security measures at polling stations for voters and election workers nationwide for the 2024 presidential election. "As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department's warning remains clear: Anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer …

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Officials ramp up security as US voters head to polls

China Daily  

By BELINDA ROBINSON in New York and LINDA DENG in Seattle | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-11-05 13:36 Federal and state officials have increased security measures at polling stations for voters and election workers nationwide for the 2024 presidential election. "As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department's warning remains clear: Anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer …

Election Offices Gear Up for Potential Violence: Increased Security Measures and Training
Trending News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Election Offices Gear Up for Potential Violence: Increased Security Measures and Training

India Today  

US election offices are implementing various security measures to prepare for potential violence ahead of Election Day. This includes increased threats and harassment of election workers, with many states implementing measures such as fortified facilities with bulletproof glass, installed steel doors, and providing staff with active shooter training and de-escalation techniques.

Bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors and snipers: Authorities prepare for election interference, unrest
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors and snipers: Authorities prepare for election interference, unrest

LA Times  

Pedestrians walk past metal security barriers on a street leading to the White House in advance of election day in Washington on Monday. Polling places and locations where ballots are counted have beefed up security in advance of Tuesday’s election, deploying bomb- and firearm-sniffing dogs, metal detectors, panic buttons and even rooftop snipers to protect workers and voters. “Part of …

States prepare for Electoral College violence: ‘The threat of domestic terrorism is too great’
1 month, 2 weeks ago

States prepare for Electoral College violence: ‘The threat of domestic terrorism is too great’

Politico  

“We’re taking this very, very seriously,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat. “One of these days, we might get back to the days of bunting and balloons, but this year, the threat of domestic terrorism is too great.” Those preparations underscore how Donald Trump’s bid to subvert the 2020 election has thrust the nuts-and-bolts processes of American …

‘We’re a Fortress Now’: The Militarization of US Elections Is Here
54 years, 11 months ago

‘We’re a Fortress Now’: The Militarization of US Elections Is Here

Wired  

Drones, snipers, razor wire, sniffer dogs, body armor, bulletproof glass, and 24-hour armed security. “Given the current political environment, the possibility that an event may occur has increased, and our election professionals have responded in kind,” says Tammy Patrick, a former election official in Arizona’s Maricopa County who is now a senior adviser at the nonprofit Bolstering Elections Initiative. “Efforts …

DHS Warns Law Enforcement Election Deniers May Attempt to Bomb Drop Boxes
54 years, 11 months ago

DHS Warns Law Enforcement Election Deniers May Attempt to Bomb Drop Boxes

Wired  

United States intelligence officials have been quietly issuing warnings to government agencies all summer about a rising threat of extremist violence tied to the 2024 presidential election, including plots to destroy bins full of paper ballots and promote "lone wolf" attacks against election facilities throughout the country. The documents show that DHS alerted dozens of agencies this summer to online …

Voting Machines: A Secure and Accurate System Despite Conspiracy Theories
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Voting Machines: A Secure and Accurate System Despite Conspiracy Theories

Associated Press  

The article discusses the accuracy and security of voting machines and the conspiracy theories surrounding them. It highlights that there was no evidence of widespread fraud or rigged voting machines in the 2020 election, and that multiple reviews confirmed the results as accurate. The article also addresses the concerns of election officials and computer security experts about the security of …

Domestic extremists with ‘election-related grievances’ could turn to violence in final weeks of election, FBI and DHS warn
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Domestic extremists with ‘election-related grievances’ could turn to violence in final weeks of election, FBI and DHS warn

CNN  

CNN — The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are concerned that “election-related grievances,” such as a belief in voter fraud, could motivate domestic extremists to engage in violence in the weeks before and after the November election, as it did during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, according to a new intelligence bulletin from the agencies. …

Cybersecurity head says there’s no chance a foreign adversary can change U.S. election results
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Cybersecurity head says there’s no chance a foreign adversary can change U.S. election results

LA Times  

Foreign adversaries are ramping up disinformation campaigns to undermine confidence in U.S. election security as voters decide between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump, a top cybersecurity official says. Security for U.S. election systems has become so robust that Russia, Iran or any other foreign adversary will not be able to alter the outcome of this year’s presidential …

As threats grow, funds for election security see a squeeze
3 months ago

As threats grow, funds for election security see a squeeze

CNN  

Phoenix CNN — When the ballot counting begins inside Arizona’s Maricopa County Tabulation Center this November, election workers will be protected behind doors and windows with bullet-proof glass and two layers of fencing. In many ways, the county’s election headquarters has been transformed into “a fortress,” says Bill Gates, a member of the county’s Board of Supervisors who has received …

Panic buttons, bulletproof glass: How US election officials are preparing to stay safe during polls
3 months ago

Panic buttons, bulletproof glass: How US election officials are preparing to stay safe during polls

Firstpost  

As election season approaches in the US, authorities are taking extensive measures to ensure both the safety of election workers and the security of the voting and ballot-counting process. AP As election season approaches in the US, authorities are taking extensive measures to ensure both the safety of election workers and the security of the voting and ballot-counting process. “I …

Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass
3 months, 1 week ago

Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass

Associated Press  

MARIETTA, Ga. — The election director in Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where votes will be fiercely contested in this year’s presidential race, recently organized a five-hour training session. “We have countless reasons why this investment was critical,” said the county’s election director, Derek Bowens, pointing to threats against election officials in Michigan and Arizona and the suspicious letters sent …

A Senate Bill Would Radically Improve Voting Machine Security
54 years, 11 months ago

A Senate Bill Would Radically Improve Voting Machine Security

Wired  

Congress is moving closer to putting US election technology under a stricter cybersecurity microscope. Embedded inside this year’s Intelligence Authorization Act, which funds intelligence agencies like the CIA, is the Strengthening Election Cybersecurity to Uphold Respect for Elections through Independent Testing Act, which would require penetration testing of federally certified voting machines and ballot scanners, and create a pilot program …

Election officials beef up security as new survey shows nearly 4 in 10 grapple with threats and harassment
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Election officials beef up security as new survey shows nearly 4 in 10 grapple with threats and harassment

CNN  

CNN — When officials in Durham, North Carolina, open their new $24 million elections operations center later this year, it will include a feature not in the original plan: a separate mail-room exhaust system to guard against dangerous particles spreading through the building. “There was mass concern.” A new survey released Wednesday by the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at …

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense
9 months ago

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The security measures are a …

Election officials in the US face daunting challenges in 2024. And Congress isn’t coming to help
10 months ago

Election officials in the US face daunting challenges in 2024. And Congress isn’t coming to help

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said it was “demoralizing and disappointing” that the federal government hasn’t committed to investing in this year’s presidential election. “Administering free and fair elections is year-round work that takes planning and resources, and election officials on the front lines of our democracy need a …

Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists

LA Times  

For election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election, the list of security challenges just keeps growing. The company said it was unlikely that Russia, China and Iran would sit out next year’s contest because the “stakes are simply too high.” The report said Russia remains “the most committed and capable threat to the 2024 election,” with the Kremlin seeing …

Election Officials See A Range Of Threats In 2024, From Hostile Countries To Conspiracy Theorists
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Election Officials See A Range Of Threats In 2024, From Hostile Countries To Conspiracy Theorists

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING ATLANTA — For election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election, the list of security challenges just keeps growing. The company said it was unlikely that Russia, China and Iran would sit out next year’s contest because the “stakes are simply too high.” The report said Russia remains “the most committed and capable threat to the 2024 …

Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Election officials see a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — For election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election, the list of security challenges just keeps growing. The company said it was unlikely that Russia, China and Iran would sit out next year’s contest because the “stakes are simply too high.” The report said Russia remains “the most committed and capable threat to the 2024 election,” with the …

2022 federal elections in the US not tainted by foreign interference, officials say
1 year ago

2022 federal elections in the US not tainted by foreign interference, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Foreign hackers did not change vote totals or otherwise compromise the integrity of federal elections last year in the United States, according to a declassified U.S. government report made public Monday. “We have no evidence that any detected activity prevented voting, changed votes, or disrupted the ability to tally votes or to transmit election results in a timely …

2022 federal elections in the US not tainted by foreign interference, officials say
1 year ago

2022 federal elections in the US not tainted by foreign interference, officials say

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Foreign hackers did not change …

Voting experts warn of ‘serious threats’ for 2024 from election equipment software breaches
1 year ago

Voting experts warn of ‘serious threats’ for 2024 from election equipment software breaches

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — An effort to access voting system software in several states and provide it to allies of former President Donald Trump as they sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election has raised “serious threats” ahead of next year’s presidential contest, according to a group of experts who urged federal agencies to investigate. The letter sent by nearly …

Trump’s call to ‘go into’ cities and ‘watch’ elections sounds alarms
1 year ago

Trump’s call to ‘go into’ cities and ‘watch’ elections sounds alarms

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald …

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism
1 year, 1 month ago

Some Republicans still press for changes to further protect Georgia voting system amid criticism

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Some Republican lawmakers continued to press Wednesday for changes to protect Georgia’s voting system from security weaknesses, but a deputy to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger accused them of acting in bad faith and promoting lies that Georgia’s 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency last year published an advisory based …

Column: Election officials are quitting in droves. Here’s why you should care
1 year, 2 months ago

Column: Election officials are quitting in droves. Here’s why you should care

LA Times  

Election workers check ballots at a processing center in Orange County. New research by a political reform group, Issue One, has given us something else to worry about: a troubling exodus of local election officials — those on the front lines fighting for truth, justice and the American way. The latest study suggests it’s now happening — particularly in battleground …

Mike Lindell's vote fraud gizmo could send 'enraged partisans' marching on election offices: report
1 year, 2 months ago

Mike Lindell's vote fraud gizmo could send 'enraged partisans' marching on election offices: report

Raw Story  

Mike Lindell claims to have a new tool for uncovering election fraud – but it seems just as likely to provoke violent threats as discover evidence of a crime. "I told Lindell that his WMD alerts would be going off everywhere because many states use online connections for e-pollbooks — which are often i-Pads – to make sure only registered …

Inside Mike Lindell's scheme to build an election fraud detector straight out of sci-fi
1 year, 2 months ago

Inside Mike Lindell's scheme to build an election fraud detector straight out of sci-fi

Raw Story  

At his 2023 “Election Summit,” Mike Lindell, the exuberant pillow peddler turned election truther, was more manic than usual. Instead of wanting to look into things, they say, ‘Well, it’s not on the internet!’” Lindell proceeded to unveil a series of electronic tools that he said would push the country to adopt a voting system that more closely resembled something …

US gun laws are failing to protect elections as political violence spreads, report finds
1 year, 3 months ago

US gun laws are failing to protect elections as political violence spreads, report finds

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There are now “big holes” in protections for voters and election workers ahead of …

Election vigilantes pose grave threat to 2024 vote: expert
1 year, 3 months ago

Election vigilantes pose grave threat to 2024 vote: expert

Raw Story  

Republicans have an arsenal of tools – including artificial intelligence and vigilante activists – to make it harder to vote and easier to cheat in next year's election, according to a voting rights expert. Georgia's GOP-backed anti-voting law makes it easier for partisan vigilantes to challenge voters en masse, and conservative groups are now using third-party groups to challenge voter …

Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges
1 year, 4 months ago

Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tonya Wichman has overseen elections in a rural Ohio county for eight years and hasn’t experienced any significant problems with voting or counting the ballots. Among many charges, the indictment names several people accused of a harassment campaign that led to death threats against two Atlanta election workers. The indictment charges Trump with making false statements and …

Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges
1 year, 4 months ago

Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Among many charges, the indictment names several people accused of a harassment campaign that …

Georgia election indictment highlights wider attempts to illegally access voting equipment
1 year, 4 months ago

Georgia election indictment highlights wider attempts to illegally access voting equipment

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A day after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, as the country was still reeling from the violent attempt to halt the transfer of presidential power, a local Republican Party official greeted a group of computer experts outside the election office in a rural county in south Georgia, where they were given access to voting …

Hackers may have access to information on millions of British voters, election commission says
1 year, 4 months ago

Hackers may have access to information on millions of British voters, election commission says

Associated Press  

LONDON — Hackers may have information on tens of millions of British voters after they got access to electoral registers, the U.K.'s election watchdog said Tuesday — nearly a year after the breach was discovered. The Electoral Commission apologized for the breach but said much of the information was already in the public domain and that the names and addresses …

Critics blast Georgia’s plan to delay software updates on its voting machines
1 year, 6 months ago

Critics blast Georgia’s plan to delay software updates on its voting machines

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Critics of Georgia’s plan to wait until after next year’s presidential election to install a software update to address security flaws on the state’s voting equipment called that irresponsible, saying the machines would be left open to attack. Even if no attack happens, Halderman wrote, the existence of vulnerabilities “is all but certain to be exploited by partisan …

National push to bolster security of key election technology
1 year, 8 months ago

National push to bolster security of key election technology

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — An effort to create a national testing program for technology central to U.S elections will be launched later this year, aiming to strengthen the security of equipment that has been targeted by foreign governments and provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories. “This is a critical need being filled at a critical time,” said Chris Wlaschin, senior vice president …

Are the feds ignoring Trump allies’ multi-state effort to access election systems? Experts raise alarms for 2024
1 year, 9 months ago

Are the feds ignoring Trump allies’ multi-state effort to access election systems? Experts raise alarms for 2024

LA Times  

A voting machine set up for Michigan’s primary election in August 2022. In a handful of states, Trump supporters convinced election officials or law enforcement to give them access to election machines, including in Mesa County, Colo.; Coffee County, Ga.; Fulton County, Pa.; and several Michigan counties. “It needs to be analyzed as a recurring pattern so that that pattern …

Security experts warn of foreign cyber threat to 2024 voting
1 year, 10 months ago

Security experts warn of foreign cyber threat to 2024 voting

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Top state election and cybersecurity officials on Thursday warned about threats posed by Russia and other foreign adversaries ahead of the 2024 elections, noting that America’s decentralized system of thousands of local voting jurisdictions creates a particular vulnerability. Distracted by war and protests, neither country appeared to disrupt last year’s midterm elections, but security officials said they expect …

The midterms ended in optimism — but threats to elections could affect voting in 2023 and beyond
1 year, 11 months ago

The midterms ended in optimism — but threats to elections could affect voting in 2023 and beyond

Raw Story  

2023 is upon us and, per page 10 of the Rulebook for Newsletters, we shall now reflect on 2022. Jen’s favorite story she wrote in 2022: Drop box watchers in Arizona connected to national effort from “2000 Mules” creators Jen’s favorite non-Votebeat story of 2022: The election official who tried to prove “Stop the Steal” Oralandar Brand-Williams, Michigan Michigan has …

Officials Say US Vote Counting Unaffected By Cyberattacks In Midterms
2 years, 1 month ago

Officials Say US Vote Counting Unaffected By Cyberattacks In Midterms

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — No instances of digital interference are known to have affected the counting of the midterm vote after a tense Election Day in which officials were closely monitoring domestic and foreign threats. Analyst Alexander Leslie of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future called the attacks “negligible, a minor nuisance at most.” The pro-Russia group that claimed responsibility …

Election Day is Nov. 8, but legal challenges already begin
2 years, 1 month ago

Election Day is Nov. 8, but legal challenges already begin

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Contesting an election that is clearly lost is now where all the incentive structure …

US braces for midterm elections turmoil amid legal challenges
2 years, 1 month ago

US braces for midterm elections turmoil amid legal challenges

Al Jazeera  

Election Day in the United States is 12 days away. “We’re now at the point where charges of fraud and suppression are baked into the turnout models for each party,” said Benjamin Ginsberg, co-chair of the Election Official Legal Defense Network and former counsel to the campaigns of George W Bush and other Republican candidates. “We built an unprecedented election …

Op-Ed: A midterm elections threat assessment — high and getting higher
2 years, 1 month ago

Op-Ed: A midterm elections threat assessment — high and getting higher

LA Times  

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a 2021 photo. She recently fired up a crowd at a Trump rally by declaring that “Democrats want Republicans dead, and they have already started the killings.” With the Nov. 8 midterm elections just two weeks away, there is growing concern for the potential of real-world political violence. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently spoke at …

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