Preserving Election Security Should be a Top Priority for Congress
Elections are the bedrock of our democratic government, and it’s not something we can neglect. If voters can no longer believe in the integrity of this most crucial of our political institutions, they will no longer believe in the legitimacy of outcomes, or the decisions made by those who they do not see as legitimately elected. Win or lose, our system is founded on the idea that we accept the results we believe are fairly and accurately determined. However, lately it has seemed that both sides of the political aisle have been casting doubts on the process. It seems that Democrats only now lose elections because of “illegal voter suppression” and Republicans only lose elections because they are “stolen.”
While Democrats like to concentrate on Trump’s claims about the 2020 election, two decades later, most harbor the same conspiracies about Florida in the 2000. While there is not much that can be done about the two Parties using the specter of “stolen” elections to generate both partisan fear and using that fear to generate millions in campaign dollars, at the very least, election officials should have the resources to combat legitimate threats to our election system, which actually do undermine the process. In fact, polling released late last week shows a majority of voters (58%) are concerned about voter fraud and foreign influence in our elections.
What flew under most people’s radar in the 2020 election contest was that Hall County, GA was subject to a ransomware attack. While the attack was not focused specifically on the county’s election operations, they were also affected. Fortunately, voting persisted in a secure fashion. This, however, was not the first or only threat to elections operations. NBC News reported in January 2020 that an election server housed at Kennesaw State University’s KSU’s Center of Elections Systems showed signs it had been hacked in 2014, potentially affecting the 2016 Presidential election.
More recently, Fulton County made headlines as the county faced a ransomware attack in February of this year. County officials had to emphasize that the attack was not related to the election process telling CNN, “no evidence or reason to believe that this incident is related to the election process or other current events.”
As we gear up for voting to start in this presidential election, many are left wondering if our election infrastructure is equipped to undertake the job.
Over the past few years, federal funding to support the electoral system has plummeted. Under the Trump administration, the federal government appropriated approximately $400 million annually to provide election sites with necessary resources and equipment. However, only $55 million was allotted for election infrastructure in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations package. This drastic reduction in federal spending not only hampers our ability to address the urgent needs of our election infrastructure but also places us on the precipice of a national security crisis.
I’ve spent the past three decades sharing my expertise in political science and law across college classrooms, in trainings hosted through the Georgia Young Republicans and Cobb County’s Republican Party during my terms as Chairman. Over the years, decades before the claims made in the 2020 election, Republicans have worked in each election to protect and preserve election security and integrity.
State and local elections operate on federal funding, and with the recent decline of these crucial funds, Georgia’s officials are unable to refurbish outdated technology, especially at the local level. Out-of-date voting and software systems are ill-equipped with the modern defenses needed to thwart today’s external interference and cyber threats. While ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated, we can’t expect outdated voting systems to safeguard against threats adequately. Foreign actors will continue to attempt interference in U.S. elections, jeopardizing the security of our elections and the confidence in our democratic process.
Let me be clear that I am not talking about the voting machines themselves as the Secretary of State has noted on numerous occasions that the voting machines are not connected to the Internet, but the machines are only one part of our election infrastructure. In fact, last week, a Fulton County Judge, Scott McAfee, dismissed a lawsuit brought by the DeKalb County Republican Party questioning the security of the state’s Dominion voting machines with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ensuring that alleged vulnerabilities to hacking or malware couldn’t be exploited in real-world conditions.
Moreover, the lack of adequate funding severely debilitates Georgia’s election officials and poll workers from effectively administering elections. Election sites can’t obtain sufficient office supplies or hire adequate staff, and voting sites are often left with insecure internet and sometimes even unreliable electricity. Despite these challenges, they continue to carry out their duties with unwavering dedication and resilience. However, they deserve more support and resources to continue administering their jobs successfully.
With these challenges in mind, it’s past time for Congress to reinvest in our election infrastructure to bolster the integrity and security of the voting process. Returning to a $400 million appropriation for election infrastructure in the fiscal year 2025 spending plan will position our election workers with the necessary equipment and resources and uphold our voting process. While the $55 million appropriation for election infrastructure is already locked in for fiscal year 2024, the urgency of the situation demands that our lawmakers take immediate action as appropriations considerations continue into the fall.
As Georgia’s congressional leaders convene to determine the fiscal year 2025 appropriations planning, they would be wise to advocate for a similar $400 million investment as allotted under the Trump administration. With public confidence in elections waning, the support of our lawmakers is becoming more critical so counties can have the resources they need to combat increasingly sophisticated threats. We can protect the integrity of our electoral system for every citizen here in Georgia and throughout the United States.
