National

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched a program aimed at enhancing election security, particularly as state and local officials face escalating cybersecurity threats and election misinformation. With concerns over potential cyberattacks by foreign entities and recent incidents like AI-generated robocalls in New Hampshire and a cyberattack in Georgia, the program seeks to provide support and reassurance to election officials. The initiative involves 10 new hires with extensive election experience who will work closely with state election offices across the country, offering tailored assistance to address their unique security needs. State election officials welcomed the additional support, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and partnership with CISA to safeguard the integrity of the election process. Read Article

National: Threats against election workers spiked after 2020, fueling concerns about recruiting, retaining key workers | Bart Jansen/USA Today

After the 2020 election, threats against election workers surged, with cases like a Texas man threatening an Arizona county election official and her children or a New Hampshire woman threatening a Michigan county election official and her daughter. Despite increased security measures, the threats, fueled by false claims of widespread fraud, continue to worry state and local election officials. A Brennan Center for Justice survey in March 2022 revealed that three out of four election officials believe threats have increased, with one in six having been directly threatened. This harassment threatens recruitment and retention of election workers, as over 20% will serve in their first presidential election in 2024, and an average of two election officials per day have left their jobs since 2020. Read Article

National: Costs for Replacing Voting Equipment in 2024 | Brennan Center for Justice

When we first reviewed the status of voting equipment nearly a decade ago, we found that almost a quarter of all Election Day voters in 2016 would cast their votes on machines that did not produce a paper backup of their vote. Election experts consider a paper backup to be a critical security measure to ensure that ballots are counted as the voter intended. By 2024, that number has dropped dramatically, with only three states likely to still use paperless voting equipment in 2024. Indeed, we estimate that in the upcoming presidential election, nearly 99 percent of all registered voters will live in jurisdictions where they can cast a ballot with a paper record of the vote, including 100 percent of voters who will cast ballots in battleground states. Read Article

National: Deepfakes, dollars and ‘deep state’ fears: Inside the minds of election officials heading into 2024 | Derek B. Johnson/CyberScoop

American election administrators are facing significant challenges as they prepare for the 2024 elections, three years after the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob that believed in widespread voter fraud. Issues include emerging technologies fueling disinformation, limited resources, foreign interference, and widespread distrust from voters. Election officials, gathered at a conference hosted by the Election Assistance Commission, expressed anxiety about the upcoming year. The lack of federal funding for election security and administration, coupled with the threat of AI-generated disinformation, adds to their concerns. Officials are also addressing the hostile environment created by voters who believe in election fraud, with some facing threats, harassment, and violence. Read Article

National: AI technology sparks new worries, but poses familiar challenges to elections | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

The recent emergence of AI-generated threats, like a robocall impersonating President Biden urging Democrats not to vote, has sparked concerns about AI’s potential impact on elections. However, a recent gathering of scholars, election officials, and journalists in New York, organized by Julia Angwin and Alondra Nelson, provided insights into AI’s capabilities and limitations. Participants tested AI language models on election-related prompts and found them lacking in accuracy, indicating that AI is not yet advanced enough to provide reliable election information. Despite these limitations, the event highlighted the importance of collaboration between election officials and AI experts to address emerging threats effectively. Read Article

National: Domestic Disruptions Are Equal Risk to Foreign Interference in 2024 Election, Experts Say | Carl Smith/Governing

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warns of new domestic threats affecting the 2024 election, anticipating potential violence and foreign interference targeting election infrastructure, processes, and personnel. While concerns about foreign interference persist, the emergence of domestic actors exacerbating distrust in electoral systems is noted. A recent webinar led by the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law discussed lessons from 2020 and anticipated challenges in social media, artificial intelligence, and foreign interference. Factors such as changes in social media usage, Supreme Court cases on social media regulation, and advances in artificial intelligence pose novel challenges. Read Article

National: Bipartisan report seeks ways to counter extreme polarization that has created distrust in elections | Gary Fields/Associated Press

A bipartisan report released by The Carter Center and the Baker Institute for Public Policy highlights concerns about the loss of faith in election results in the U.S., attributed to extreme partisanship and a complex, decentralized voting system. The report emphasizes the need for greater transparency and steps to simplify voting processes. It outlines 10 principles aimed at balancing equal access to the polls with ensuring the integrity of election outcomes, including clear election laws, secure voter registration, regular audits, and transparency in vote counting. Read Article

National: Voting Is Bewildering This Primary Season. That Worries Experts. | Maggie Astor/The New York Times

The 2024 election season is marked by confusing and fragmented primary schedules, creating challenges for voters and potentially impacting turnout. New Hampshire’s primary was boycotted by President Biden after the state altered the Democratic Party’s schedule, leading to disarray among voters. The upcoming primaries in South Carolina and Nevada further complicate the process, with different dates for Democratic and Republican voters, and conflicting options for candidates like Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. The complex and disjointed primary schedules may disrupt voting habits, reduce participation, and fuel distrust in elections, potentially affecting not only the presidential nominees but also long-term voting behavior. Read Article

National: “Terrifying”: Expert outlines “endless” ways AI could “further fracture” elections and our democracy | Areeba Shah/Salon

Misinformation and disinformation, already significant threats to elections, are becoming more challenging with the rise of AI-generated content. The impact of AI on elections was demonstrated when a doctored audio message of President Joe Biden discouraged New Hampshire residents from voting. AI tools can create convincing narratives that spread false information rapidly, amplifying concerns about election integrity. Read Article

National: Republican lawsuits challenge mail ballot deadlines. Could they upend voting across the country? | Christine Fernando, Emily Wagster Pettus and Jack Duira/Associated Press

Republicans are challenging extended mail ballot deadlines in Mississippi through a lawsuit that could have broader implications for mail voting across the nation. The legal maneuver follows a similar lawsuit filed last year in North Dakota. The lawsuits argue that deadlines for receiving mailed ballots that extend past Election Day violate federal law. Mississippi and North Dakota are among several states that accept late-arriving mailed ballots as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. Read Article

National: The new U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is giving new life to old conspiracy theories | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

The nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), previously involved in the “Zuckerbucks” controversy during the 2020 election, is facing renewed criticism from right-wing activists for its new program, the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. The program, involving 15 counties sharing best practices in election administration, has been targeted by right-wing media outlets. Articles accuse participating counties, such as Boone County in Missouri, of joining a “liberal dark money-linked election organization” using taxpayer money. Despite the negative attention, participating counties, including Boone County and Coconino County, Arizona, remain committed to the program, emphasizing its value for professional development in election administration. Read Article

National: Cyber chiefs confident 2024 election will be ‘most secure’ in history Maggie Miller/Politico

Top officials responsible for safeguarding U.S. elections against cyber threats, including Jen Easterly, head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of both U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, have expressed confidence that the upcoming elections will be the most secure to date. They cited the extensive work done by state and local election officials, the federal government, vendors, and the private sector since 2016 to enhance the security, resilience, and integrity of the American election system. Nakasone added that the partnerships and understanding of technologies are stronger, and he has not seen any indications of a major cyberattack against voting being planned for this year. Read Article

National: Pro-Trump network OAN execs may have ‘engaged in criminal activities’ while promoting 2020 election lies, Smartmatic alleges | Marshall Cohen/CNN

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the president of the far-right network One America News (OAN) reportedly sent an email to former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell containing a spreadsheet with passwords allegedly belonging to employees of the voting technology company Smartmatic. Smartmatic, currently suing OAN for defamation, revealed the existence of the spreadsheet, leading to concerns that OAN executives may have engaged in criminal activities by potentially violating state and federal laws regarding data privacy. The court records do not disclose how OAN obtained the spreadsheet or whether the passwords were authentic. Read Article

National: ‘Every noise makes you jumpy’: Election workers confront threats and abuse with resilience training | Rachel Leingang/The Guardian

Former elections clerk Tina Barton, who faced death threats and harassment during her role in the 2020 elections, now serves as a senior elections expert at The Elections Group and shares her experiences to provide resilience training for elections officials facing ongoing harassment. The threats, often based on misinformation and targeting women and people of color, contribute to stress, worry, and chaos in election offices. Barton’s training aims to help officials manage the daily stresses of their jobs and address issues like hypervigilance, fear, and post-traumatic stress. The mental wellness tools provided in these sessions seek to assist individuals in coping with the systemic problem of ongoing threats and harassment faced by election officials, which has led to a wave of officials quitting their jobs, leaving less experienced personnel in charge. Read Article

National: ‘Preposterous’: Federal judge decries efforts to downplay Jan. 6 violence, label perpetrators ‘hostages’ | Kyle Cheney/Politico

The longest-serving district judge on the federal bench in Washington, D.C., Royce Lamberth, warned about the ongoing danger posed by false rhetoric about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, singling out former President Donald Trump and allies like Rep. Elise Stefanik for spreading misinformation. Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, expressed concern over attempts to rewrite history, downplaying the seriousness of the attack and characterizing defendants as “hostages.” He emphasized the danger of such destructive rhetoric and issued his comments in connection with the resentencing of Jan. 6 defendant James Little, who had appealed his earlier sentence. Lamberth criticized Little’s lack of remorse and sentenced him to an additional 60 days in jail, highlighting the importance of acknowledging right from wrong regarding the events of Jan. 6. Read Article

National: The head of the government’s election security agency was swatted in December | Kevin Collier and Michael Kosnar/NBC

The director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jen Easterly, was the target of a swatting incident at the end of December, where false emergencies are reported to trigger an armed police response. The incident occurred amid a wave of swatting calls targeting judges and public officials. CISA has been under scrutiny from House Republicans for promoting information about voting processes. Easterly confirmed the incident, emphasizing the serious risk posed to individuals and law enforcement officers. Read Article

National: Elon Musk Is Spreading Election Misinformation, but X’s Fact Checkers Are Long Gone | Jim Rutenberg and Kate Conger/The New York Times

Elon Musk’s control over the X platform, formerly Twitter, has sparked concerns as he echoes false claims about the American voting system without fact-checking or corrective measures. Musk, who dismantled the platform’s fact-checking system, has been accused of spreading misinformation and undermining confidence in the electoral process. The Biden campaign criticized Musk for his irresponsible actions, highlighting the potential for his influence to reignite doubts about the election system, similar to the atmosphere leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Musk’s approach, seen as a departure from perceived censorship on the old Twitter platform, is applauded by pro-Trump Republicans. Read Article

National: AI-Generated Fake News Is Coming to an Election Near You | Sander van der Linden/WIRED

As the use of generative AI becomes more prevalent, concerns are growing about the potential for AI-generated misinformation to impact elections. Researchers from the University of Cambridge Social Decision-Making Laboratory trained GPT-2, ChatGPT’s predecessor, on conspiracy theories and found that AI-generated headlines led a significant percentage of participants to believe false information. With the rise of deepfakes and AI-produced fake news, political campaigns may increasingly use these tools to manipulate public opinion. In a test using a deepfake video, researchers found that religious voters developed more negative attitudes toward a politician who appeared to offend their religious beliefs. As AI facilitates the automated generation of misleading news headlines, there are concerns about its potential impact on democracy, leading to calls for government intervention to restrict or ban the use of AI in political campaigns. Read Article

The federal agency dedicated to elections continues struggling with turnover | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has fired its executive director, Steven Frid, who held the position for less than a year, marking the agency’s third executive director in as many years. The EAC has also been without a permanent general counsel for nearly two years, with its chief information security officer temporarily filling in as executive director. The agency, responsible for crucial election guidance, faces challenges with staff turnover, and its commissioners are now tasked with filling open positions during the 2024 federal election year. High turnover, lack of staff satisfaction, and internal limitations on hiring qualified personnel have plagued the EAC, impacting its effectiveness in providing support to local election administrators. Reasd Article

National: ‘Scared to Death’: Election officials on edge ahead of 2024 vote | John Sakellariadis/Politico

At a conference hosted by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, local election workers voiced alarm and frustration about the difficulty of convincing some Americans that the vote can be trusted. The officials worry about intense partisan scrutiny, insider threats, and AI-powered disinformation affecting the democratic system. Despite efforts to combat false claims, increased harassment, and threats, many officials fear a crisis in voter trust, especially in the face of ongoing conspiracy theories and baseless allegations. Read Article

National: Here’s how ChatGPT maker OpenAI plans to deter election misinformation in 2024 | Ali Swenson/Associated Press

OpenAI has announced a plan to prevent the misuse of its generative AI tools for spreading election misinformation. The San Francisco-based AI startup outlined safeguards, including policies against creating chatbots impersonating real candidates, misrepresenting voting processes, or discouraging voting. OpenAI plans to digitally watermark AI images generated by its DALL-E tool to identify their origin and is partnering with the National Association of Secretaries of State to direct users with voting-related questions to accurate information. The company aims to enhance transparency, enforce policies, and provide accurate voting information through its initiatives. However, concerns about potential gaps and the need for industry-wide guidelines are noted. Read Article

National: Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat in 2024, and the U.S. isn’t ready | Brandy Zadrozny/NBC

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, experts highlight the unprecedented threat of disinformation to democracy. Researchers, technologists, and political scientists warn that a convergence of events, including rising authoritarianism, deep distrust, and political unrest, creates a dire environment for propaganda, falsehoods, and conspiracy theories. The potential impact of disinformation ranges from influencing how people form opinions on issues to providing false evidence that threatens democracy or public health. Experts emphasize the need for comprehensive solutions, such as reviving local news, implementing information literacy programs, and enacting meaningful legislation around social media. Read Article

National: Only 4% of US States Fully Prepared for Cyber-Attacks Targeting Election | James Coker/InfoSecurity Magazine

A survey conducted by Arctic Wolf reveals that less than 4% of U.S. states are fully prepared to detect and recover from election-targeted cybersecurity incidents, with 14.3% described as ‘not at all prepared’ and 42.9% as ‘somewhat prepared’ for the upcoming 2024 election cycle. Similarly, 16.1% of cities were found to be unprepared, and 41.1% only somewhat prepared for election-based cyber threats, while only 3.6% of city officials claimed full readiness. Over 80% of respondents anticipate an increase or maintenance of cyber incidents related to the 2024 elections compared to 2020, and despite these concerns, 36% report inadequate budgets to address cybersecurity around the upcoming election cycle. Disinformation campaigns (50.7%) and phishing attacks targeting election officials or staff (47.1%) were identified as the top two election cybersecurity threats, with concerns about the impact of AI technologies, such as large language models and deepfakes, in creating more sophisticated disinformation and phishing campaigns. Read Article

National: Phishing, Disinformation Top 2024 Election Security Concerns | Jule Pattison-Gordon/Government Technology

Election security leaders in 2024 are expected to confront a range of cybersecurity threats, blending both traditional and emerging challenges such as sophisticated phishing and disinformation campaigns amplified by generative AI. A survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government revealed that election officials and workers feel unprepared for these threats, which primarily include concerns about disinformation, phishing, and data breaches. Deepfake technology, evolving rapidly in recent months, poses a particular challenge in disseminating false narratives, with 51% of state and local government respondents identifying disinformation campaigns as a top concern. Phishing, becoming more advanced, presents unique difficulties for election officials who often receive emails from unknown voters and need to open attachments related to absentee ballots. Read Article

National: State Legislators Tighten A.I. Rules to Combat Deceptive Election Ads | David W. Chen/The New York Times

State lawmakers are rushing to address the increasing sophistication of false or misleading AI-created political ads. By early January, 13 states had introduced legislation related to the regulation of AI in campaign advertising, with penalties ranging from fines to felony convictions. The bills generally aim to require disclosure of AI involvement in ads, with some allowing candidates to pursue civil action. Read Article

National: ‘Better be scared’: threats of political violence foretell tense election year | Rachel Leingang/The Guardian

A recent surge in threats against election officials and judges in the United States is creating a tense atmosphere ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The threats include incidents such as a judge overseeing an election interference case against Donald Trump having her home visited by police following a fake emergency call, attempts to do the same to a prosecutor, and bomb threats to state capitols believed to be hoaxes. The threats, often targeting women and people of color, disrupt and intimidate those involved, causing chaos and making it challenging for election officials to perform their duties. Experts warn that the wave of threats, coupled with increasing support for political violence, could lead to a volatile environment as the future of U.S. democracy is perceived to be at stake in the upcoming election. Read Article

The push for hand-counting ballots, election official turnover and other storylines Votebeat is watching in 2024 | Jessica Huseman/Votebeat

2024 is anticipated to bring challenges to the election landscape, including the persistence of hand-counting as a contentious idea within the Republican Party. The high turnover of election workers, exacerbated by stress, low pay, and harassment, poses a threat to the electoral process, especially in areas with new administrators. State legislatures’ historical underfunding of elections and the passage of laws with unintended consequences are ongoing issues. Notably, the Republican Party in Gillespie County, Texas, plans to hand-count its primary results, reflecting a broader debate fueled by election conspiracy theories. Election-related indictments and lawsuits in Arizona, Michigan’s implementation of new voting laws, and Pennsylvania’s significant loss of election director experience are key areas to watch in 2024. Read Article

National: As Jan. 6 nears, Trump voters ready to believe election fraud in 2024 | Susan Page Sudiksha Kochi Savannah Kuchar/USA Today

Supporters of Donald Trump, who generally believe his unfounded claims of fraud in the 2020 election, are prepared to accept those allegations again in 2024, potentially leading to protests and more if Trump runs and loses, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll. The poll reveals a lack of confidence in election integrity among GOP voters and widespread fears about threats to American democracy across the political spectrum. A majority of Trump supporters (52%) expressed no confidence that the results of the 2024 election would be accurately counted and reported. The findings underscore the deep political divide and skepticism among Trump supporters about the legitimacy of election results, similar to the sentiments that fueled the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Read Article

National: Post-2020 election: American democracy has overcome big stress tests. More challenges are ahead | Nicholas Riccardi/Associated Press

OverOver the past three years, the resilience of American democracy has been tested amid attempts by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to overturn the 2020 election results. While Trump’s efforts to overturn the election failed, concerns persist as he dominates the Republican primaries, raising the prospect of potential conflicts and challenges. A big test for American democracy awaits in 2024, with Trump running for the White House again and using increasingly authoritarian rhetoric. Read Article

National: ‘Stakes are really high’: misinformation researcher changes tack for 2024 election | Rachel Leingang/The Guardian