Government council discusses election preparedness, coordination

Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) officials maintain Election Day preparations and coordination between the federal government and state and local election officials have progressed accordingly.

“The election community is more unified, more coordinated, and better prepared than ever before. We are in the final stretch leading up to the 2020 elections, and there is no doubt we have a challenging road ahead,” members of the GCC Executive Committee noted via a joint statement. “The pandemic has changed the way some will cast their ballots this year, and the threat of foreign interference remains. However, as an election community, we are practiced and prepared to take these challenges head-on and ensure American voters decide American elections.”

The GCC Executive Committee is made up of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Assistant Director Bob Kolasky, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chair Benjamin Hovland, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Immediate-past President Paul Pate, National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) President Lori Augino and Escambia County (Florida) Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.

“Election officials are swiftly adapting their operations to ensure every voter is able to cast a ballot in a safe and secure manner,” the executive panel concluded. “The federal government is actively monitoring for threats against our systems and foreign disinformation activity, and is providing resources and support to help keep our election infrastructure secure.”

All 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as numerous counties, have intrusion detection sensors protecting their election infrastructure while public and private sector cybersecurity professionals have conducted hundreds of assessments on state and local networks, including penetration testing, phishing campaign assessments, and vulnerability assessments.