Election security at risk as Musk’s DOGE 'dismantles' critical network
Voters walk towards a polling precinct at Calvary Christian Academy, as Florida holds a special election for a U.S. House of Representatives seat vacated by National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, in Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S. April 1, 2025. REUTERS/Octavio Jones
Some essential components of the election security network, which were largely developed in the last eight years to protect election offices, are reportedly being "dismantled" by the Trump administration and tech billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
A CNN investigation published Wednesday found that as a result of this dismantling, election offices nationwide are struggling to safeguard themselves against potential future threats.
The piece mentions Misha Pride, then mayor of South Portland, Maine, facing a bomb hoax on Election Day last year.
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He was welcoming voters when police cars unexpectedly arrived at the community center with their lights flashing. The city manager texted Pride about a possible shooting and officers acted to secure the area.
But authorities quickly established that the police call was a hoax.
It was part of a larger wave of threats and cyberattacks that occurred last November, aimed at disrupting the presidential election. These incidents were fueled by both partisan extremists and foreign state actors from countries like Russia and China, per the report.
Voting at the community center was only delayed by ten minutes. The reason such attacks in Maine and other parts of the U.S. had little effect was due to effective prior preparations and the prompt response from a network of federal, state, and local election, cybersecurity, and law enforcement officials. These personnel shared information and coordinated efforts to secure the election.
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But with DOGE's dismantling of this system, future elections will likely not have the same level of security.
In early February, DOGE terminated 130 employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The fired officials included 10 regional security specialists who collaborated with local and state election officials.
The Trump administration is also moving forward with plans to remove civil service protections from 80 percent of the remaining CISA staff.
Attorney General Pam Bondi disbanded an important FBI task force responsible for investigating foreign attempts to influence elections, and she left uncertain the status of another FBI task force that focused on threats to election workers and polling locations.
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The CNN report further says the administration's actions have raised significant concerns among state officials, who caution that the upcoming national elections could be jeopardized by the budget reductions.
A bipartisan group representing 46 secretaries of state, along with several key state election officials, has sought clarification from the White House regarding the future operation of essential functions that ensure election security. According to documents provided to CNN, they have not received satisfactory responses.
AlterNet reached out to the White House for comment.
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