Cyber-securing the Vote: Ensuring the Integrity of the U.S. Election System

Subject

Date

July 24, 2018

Time

10:00 am

Place

2154 Rayburn HOB

Full Committee on Oversight and Accountability

PURPOSE:

To assess the role of the federal government, states, and localities in safeguarding the integrity of the U.S. election system.
To determine what actions must be taken ahead of the 2018 midterm elections to ensure the voting process is secure.

BACKGROUND:

On November 29, 2017, the Subcommittees on Information Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint hearing on the threats facing voting machines and discussed efforts to safeguard the ballot box.
The U.S. election process is governed and administered by state and local election officials with federal assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) due to the agency’s role in protecting critical infrastructure.
In March 2018, Congress appropriated $380 million in grants for state election security expenses. The funds may be used to train local officials, acquire more sophisticated and secure software, and purchase machines to create auditable paper trails.
As of July 16, 2018, 100 percent of the appropriated funds have been requested by all 50 states and five territories.