Election Security: Resilience and Voter Confidence Essentials

Election security is national security, ensuring safe and resilient elections through improved federal and local collaboration.

### Ensuring Election Security: A Resilient System Against Misinformation
* 🔒 We rely on experts in cyber readiness to **address misinformation concerns** and assure the public of **election safety and resilience**.
* 🗳 Election security is deemed national security, emphasizing that while elections are political, their **integrity is crucial for societal function**.
* 🏛 Since the 2016 election, elections have been classified as **critical infrastructure**, leading to **increased federal resources** for state and local officials to ensure **secure elections**.
* 📊 In 2023, the federal government collaborated with state and local officials to conduct **physical assessments** and run nearly **200 exercises** to prepare for various election scenarios.
* 🖥 A vital aspect of election resilience is that elections are **not connected to the Internet**, and **97% of registered voters** are in jurisdictions with paper records, providing a **reliable backup for audits**.
* 🌍 U.S. intelligence agencies have warned of **increased efforts from foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, to disrupt elections**, highlighting the **importance of vigilance and rapid communication of information**.
* 📢 The federal government has improved its response to misinformation each election cycle, creating a **more informed electorate** and encouraging voters to seek information from **trusted sources** like state and local officials.
* 📅 Voter confidence is paramount, and individuals must take responsibility to **verify information**, with resources like **Vote.gov** available to guide them in finding **secure and accurate election information**.

We rely and go to your sister in cyber readiness expertise here because we understand the misinformation concerns. We were just talking about them with our previous guest. Give us the facts that this is resilient, that we are safe. We are safe. So while elections themselves are political, election security is not. Election security is national security. 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 as a federal government with industry that elections are critical to how we function as a society. Therefore, additional resources have been allocated to all of the state and local officials that are actively prepared, have actively prepared for, and are now administering these elections. Can you give us exact details? I mean, measles is one thing, but actual practices, ways in which we know and

contrast in the systems that exist. So, first of all, we have to look historically. So, since the beginning of 2023, the federal government has worked closely with state and local officials to conduct physical assessments of election systems. Importantly, to run almost 200 exercises that prepare these individuals and these communities in these regions for different scenarios that may come into play. It's also important to note that elections are not connected to the Internet, therefore giving it a different level of resilience. And what's also very critical is that 97% of registered voters are in jurisdictions with paper records, meaning we have this backup and this resilience for audits, etc. Kiss. And last night, US intelligence agencies issued a joint statement. In our reporting, we say is unprecedented warning that adversaries, Russia being at the forefront of it, have stepped up efforts to disrupt this election. Calling on your experience and your time in relevant agencies. Why is that significant?

Well, what we know is that our foreign adversaries are absolutely conducting malign influence operations that have had two real goals. The first is to undermine the confidence of Americans in our democracy. And the second is to sow discord, to just pit Americans against one another when there's actually nothing there. But what is critical about this election is we're seeing the federal government work across agencies to put out these joint announcements and to get this information out as quickly as possible. This is a big difference from where we were in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022. It's improved each year. So actually, the more that we hear about this, the better because there is information that we are being able to communicate to voters to say, be aware of this so that we're creating a more educated electorate. Through cybersecurity. What are the biggest vulnerabilities that a voter today of all days might face throughout the day? Where is this manifesting itself for

everyday people? I worry less about cybersecurity. I worry more about just people's confidence in the system. There has never been a more important time for individuals, for citizens to believe in the resilience of this nation, to believe in our ability to connect, to conduct safe, secure elections, and to be personally resilient. And each voter has accountability and responsibility in this moment to get the right information. State and local election officials are the trusted sources for information. If a voter has any doubt about anything to go, typically they're on websites. Vote dot gov can direct you where to go. But it's really important that individuals and voters find this information to be secure.

Combatting Persistent Election Interference Fears

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Ensuring Election Security and Resilience

Election security is considered national security, with officials and stakeholders now better prepared than ever to administer safe and secure elections.

Since 2016, elections have been designated as critical infrastructure, leading to increased resources for state and local officials.

Key measures taken include physical assessments of election systems, conducting nearly 200 preparedness exercises, and ensuring 97% of registered voters are in jurisdictions with paper records for backup and audits.

Malign Influence Operations and Election Security

Foreign adversaries are conducting operations to undermine American confidence in democracy and sow discord.

The federal government is now working across agencies to provide joint announcements and information quickly, showing improvement in election security efforts over the years.

Increased communication about these issues aims to create a more educated electorate and raise awareness among voters.

Building Confidence in the Election System

The speaker emphasizes the importance of individuals believing in the resilience of the nation and the ability to conduct safe elections.

Voters have a responsibility to seek out the right information, with state and local election officials being the trusted sources.

gov can help direct voters to secure information.