New cybersecurity initiative unveiled for local election officials

A new Center for Democracy and Technology initiative has been unveiled to "strengthen mechanisms that provide timely, actionable research and analysis to support the cybersecurity and resilience of vital election processes," StateScoop reports.

Such a project, which will be spearheaded by Geoff Hale, a former election security associate director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, comes as state and local governments are experiencing reduced federal funding for cybersecurity projects due to the Election Assistance Commission's limited election security grant funds of $45 million and CISA's diminishing assistance programs. Press materials state that the center will provide expert briefings, conduct in-depth evaluations of new threats, build useful tools for stakeholders, and monitor federal advancements in election technology and cybersecurity legislation.

In a press release, CDT President and CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens said elections officials "deserve top-notch technical support" to safeguard their systems, especially amid heightened political divisions nationwide. Meanwhile, Tim Harper, head of the CDT's elections and democracy project, emphasized the importance of rejuvenating cybersecurity funding, partnerships, and information sharing in bolstering election security.