Although voting systems have been designated “critical infrastructure” by the Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 6, the federal commission that helps state governments develop voting systems and administer elections is unsure of the implications of the new designation. U.S. Election Assistance Commission plans to sit down with officials from DHS on Feb. 2 to get a clearer understanding of that protection. The systems were designated as a subsector the of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector, one of DHS 15 sectors that also cover the energy, communications and chemical sectors. “We still don’t know what it means,” Thomas Hicks, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission told FCW after his presentation at a biometric technology security conference in Arlington, Va., on Jan 24. “We’re hoping to have a forum to ask DHS and the Trump administration what the designation means and does it go forward” under the new administration, Hicks said.
The EAC is a federal independent agency that serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration for state and local governments. It develops guidance for states, works on voluntary voting system guidelines and other work to help ensure systems function efficiently and securely.
Hicks said there are many areas under the DHS designation of state voting systems as “critical infrastructure” that need more definition and discussion.
“I’m neither for it or against it. I just don’t know what it means,” said Hicks in his keynote presentation at the Biometrics for Government and Law Enforcement conference.
Full Article: Voting infrastructure protections need fleshing out — GCN.