Florida doesn’t plan to tap its $19.2 million allocation from the federal government to enhance election cybersecurity in time for this year’s primary election in August or general election in November. A total of $380 million was allocated for the states to improve election security and technology. The money was contained in the massive federal budget deal passed in March. Florida’s top election official, Secretary of State Ken Detzner, said Tuesday the state wouldn’t be spending the money for this year’s elections. “The answer is no,” he said during a break at the spring conference of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections in Fort Lauderdale.
Detzner said that doesn’t mean Florida is unprepared for cyber threats to its election system.
He said state and local governments are aware of potential cybersecurity threats and working diligently to protect the integrity of the 2018 elections. He said the state would “cover every base when it comes to cyber security. We are absolutely not too late. We are on time. We are on schedule.”
Earlier, speaking to more than 200 elections supervisors and their staffers, Detzner devoted most of his remarks to reassuring the public about election security.
Full Article: Florida wont tap into $19 million of federal election money in time for 2018 elections – Sun Sentinel.