Protecting the 2024 Election: Be Prepared for Anything

After the events of the past few years, security is in the forefront of election officials’ minds. The individual states are responsible for conducting elections, so the National Association of Counties (NACo) at its annual legislative conference just conducted a series of workshops and panels on the range of threats facing election workers and voters alike. While physical threats, intimidation and harassment are primary concerns, there are several cyber aspects, as well. Election officials and workers could face doxing – releasing personal information online – and other actions such as “swatting,” or calling 9-1-1 to falsely report a violent crime at an address to trigger a police response. The threat of mis-, dis-, and mal-information (MDM) that aims to undermine the public’s confidence in election integrity is another concern. There are concerns about cyberattacks, such as ransomware, preventing access to state voter registration databases and malicious text messages redirecting voters to bogus polling places. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is providing guidance and assistance to election officials grappling with these challenges.