Many claims have been, and still are being, made about elections and voting security, more than ever since the 2020 election. Some claim there was widespread “voting fraud.” While no process or technology, of any kind for any purpose, is 100% secure, the 2020 general elections were determined through audits and assessments by dedicated elections workers, federal and state civil servants, and cybersecurity experts, to have been the most secure in history, based on the combined results of over a thousand audits and risk assessments. However, as misinformation grows, and increasingly more types of voting devices are used, elections officials must ensure security is continually be monitored, updated and improved to address newly discovered vulnerabilities and threats.

Here are some facts important to know up front: Voting machine equipment, standards and procedures vary greatly from state to state, and even county to county. And, there is great diversity in the types and ages of the over 100,000 voting machines used throughout the U.S. These facts make it necessary to perform ongoing review and assessment of voting machines and procedures physical security, cyber security, and procedural security.

Just a few key issues that must be considered for elections and voting technology security include:• How widely are voting security standards used by the over 100,000 polling locations throughout the U.S.? Who provides oversight of this?• Who are “insiders” within the election and voting ecosystem? And, what types of insider threats exist that need to be addressed? • Is the internet a threat vector to voting systems? Are the voting systems ever connected to the internet?• In what ways are voting procedures throughout the states and territories different? Would committing widespread fraud be possible?• What are actions can elections officials and workers take to better protect voting systems, and the full elections process? • Where can U.S. states and territories obtain help to strengthen the security of the technologies, activities and physical components of the elections systems?

Listen in to hear Marci Andino, the Sr Director, Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) at Center for Internet Security, answer these questions, and more!

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