(LEX 18) — Along with state and local election officials, the federal government is working to ensure the security of the 2024 election.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) serves as the federal government lead in securing our election infrastructure against a wide range of cyber, physical, and operational security risks.
On a press call Thursday morning, CISA Director Jen Easterly emphasized that voters should feel confident in their vote this November.
"I can say with full confidence that election infrastructure has never been more secure," said Easterly. "Regardless of who you vote for, you can have confidence that your vote will be counted as cast.”
“In the aftermath of Russian attempts to interfere and influence our presidential election in 2016, election infrastructure for the first time was designated as critical infrastructure," Easterly added.
Easterly reinforced facts that Kentucky election officials have been emphasizing for several years now.
“The machines Americans use are not connected to the internet," Easterly said. "Second, over 97% of registered voters will cast their ballots in jurisdictions where they’ll get a paper record."
“A malicious actor could not get into a voting machine to affect the vote in any material way that would have an impact on the outcome of the presidential election - certainly not without being detected," she added.
However, there are threats out there, according to Easterly. But they largely come in the form of disinformation.
"We have very real threats from our foreign adversaries - like Russia, Iran, and China - intent on two key goals of undermining American confidence in our elections and our democratic institutions and stoking partisan discord," she said. "Pitting Americans against each other.”
