Election Officials Face Foreign Threats Amidst Strained Federal Relations

With midterm elections just days away, local election officials are facing a challenging security environment as communication channels with federal authorities regarding foreign threats have reached their weakest point since 2016. While U.S. intelligence agencies continue to track attempts by Russia, China, and Iran to influence American voters, significant cuts to federal programs have hindered the government’s ability to relay vital intelligence to those managing the polls on the ground. The feelings of federal neglect aren’t unique to election officials. According to those necessary preparations mean working with legal counsel to understand the scope and limits of federal authorities over elections and planning for a range of scenarios,, Jennifer Morrell, co-founder of the nonpar. Even the best-trained election staff are more vulnerable when they’re tired, according to Morrell, a former election official in Colorado and Utah. “That’s when mistakes can happen and phishing attempts are more likely to succeed.”, with all the preparations ahead of the midterms. Federal officials are also keeping an eye on Russia-aligned “hacktivists” who used cheap cyberattacks to knock election-related websites offline ahead of the 2022 midterms. Suspected Russian operatives have posted a wave of AI-altered videos on X attacking Democratic candidates in the final weeks of the midterms, according to private firms that track the activity, in recent weeks. The Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, one such video includes a fabricated claim of sexual assault against James Talarico. US officials are also wary of Iran’s hackers and trolls, who have a reputation for being unpredictable and brazen.

The collaborative relationship that defined previous election cycles has deteriorated. Experts and election officials describe a breakdown in cooperation, noting that many local administrators are unsure who to contact within the federal government when cyber or physical incidents arise. Ryan Macias, a veteran election security consultant and former advisor to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), stated that the connection between local officials and the federal government has effectively collapsed. But the agency was gutted during Trump’s second term. CISA did not reply to questions of how many election officials have accessed the platform.

David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney and co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, noted that information sharing has largely ceased. Becker, who works with officials from both political parties, stated he is unaware of a single election official actively sharing cybersecurity intelligence with federal partners this year, marking a stark departure from the collaboration seen in the past four federal elections. This climate of distrust is exacerbated by the administration’s past rhetoric, including the promotion of election-fraud claims and a perceived willingness to intervene in state-run election processes.

CISA, which played a central role in warning of foreign influence during the 2020 cycle, has scrambled in recent weeks to establish new information-sharing platforms. However, these late-stage efforts have failed to gain the same level of trust or credibility as prior initiatives. A recent classified briefing, the first of its kind since the 2024 presidential cycle, was reportedly marred by technical failures, preventing federal officials from successfully communicating with their local counterparts. A much-anticipated classified briefing for election officials, the first since the 2024 presidential election cycle, was marred by technical difficulties, as federal officials were unable to get the video call to work. (The briefing was rescheduled and occurred without those difficulties.), and in mid-October. The administration has tried to rebuild its election-security work, though to little effect, sources told, in recent months. “The Russians are kind of throwing everything out there … to generate a sense of chaos and anarchy,” Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters last month. “The Chinese … have always been extremely targeted in their influence efforts. In 2020, Tehran sought to undermine Trump’s election prospects through “a multi-pronged covert influence campaign,” according to a US intelligence assessment.

The tension has also impacted private-sector partners. Scott Leiendecker, who purchased Dominion Voting Systems last year and rebranded it as Liberty Vote, noted a significant decline in the support received from federal authorities. The company, which provides equipment to 26 states, has faced immense pressure following the 2020 election, when supporters of Donald Trump made false claims regarding the firm’s machines, eventually resulting in an $878 million settlement from Fox News in 2023. Leiendecker emphasized that interactions with federal officials have not mirrored the robust engagement seen in previous years. “We haven’t had the same interactions that we’ve had in the past,” Leiendecker said. “I’m hoping that dialogue will be improved in the future.”. Many of Trump’s allies falsely claimed Dominion’s machines rigged the results, after the 2020 election. Fox News paid the company more than $787 million in 2023 to settle a defamation case about those conspiracy theories.

While some local offices, such as in New Mexico, report that their internal focus on preventing foreign interference remains unchanged, other experts fear that local resources are being diverted toward preparing for potential federal intervention.

Concerns remain that political polarization surrounding election integrity—including recent comments from figures like Senator Markwayne Mullin, who cast doubt on past voting procedures—has made local officials reluctant to share information that could be used to fuel partisan narratives. As a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security noted, the responsibility for counting ballots and determining validity rests with state and local officials, yet the current environment leaves those administrators increasingly isolated as they face threats from foreign disinformation campaigns and AI-fueled interference. But they’re getting no information from the feds, and they are doing their best in filling the gap themselves.”, the election officials I talk to are still worried about foreign interference. According to “CISA remains fully equipped and prepared to address any national security cyber threats that face our nation,” the CISA spokesperson, In response to questions about election security for this article. “Upon request, CISA provides state and local election officials and election vendors with voluntary, no-cost services, including technical expertise, vulnerability scanning, and resilience-building support,” the. “Meanwhile, foreign interference and cyber threats haven’t gone away,” she told. “My concern is that this added pressure further wears down the people who are our first line of defense.”.