Election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election face a growing list of security challenges, including cyberattacks, misinformation, and foreign interference.
Concerns from previous elections persist, with the added burden of false claims of widespread fraud.
The threat of foreign interference from Russia, China, and Iran looms large, prompting warnings from national security experts. (Trending: Democrat Targets U.S. Troops With New Gun Control Law)
Microsoft reported, “Election 2024 may be the first presidential election during which multiple authoritarian actors simultaneously attempt to interfere with and influence an election outcome.”
Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, said, “We’re going to do everything we can to be prepared, but we are facing well-funded, serious adversaries, and that requires all of us to be clear-eyed about those challenges ― and for voters to also know that there are foreign actors that want to influence their vote to further their own goals and not America’s.”
Hinds County Election Commissioner Shirley Varnado said, “That should be done, but we’re in a building without heat or air.”
Susan Greenhalgh, a senior adviser on election security with Free Speech For People, said, “Our election system is not perfect.”
“There are a lot of things that need to be and should be improved,” added Greenhalgh.
Election integrity groups advocate for improved security measures and federal investigations in light of recent breaches.
While progress has been made in enhancing election infrastructure security, turnover in local election offices has led to a loss of institutional knowledge.
The combination of these factors has created a significant challenge for election officials.
CISA Director Jen Easterly said, “There’s just been so much that has transformed the face of election infrastructure security over the past seven years.”
“In a space where people can sometimes get pretty down, I think we should be optimistic,” added the director.
Larry Norden, an election expert with the Brennan Center for Justice, said, “There was not nearly as much awareness of the services that are offered as I think there should be.”
“It’s not surprising, but it means there’s work to do,” he added.
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