IG Report: U.S. Election Systems secure, infrastructure needs protection

WASHINGTON — A new report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General reveals election security concerns.

The report says the federal government needs to do more to protect polling sites from threats of physical violence.

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The inspector general’s office looked into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is responsible for securing the country’s election systems.

The report found that when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting the voting systems themselves, the agency has done a good job.

But the report also found that the agency needs to do more to protect our election systems from physical threats of violence and terrorism.

It points to an example in February when police say a man drove a van through a voter registration tent in Jacksonville, FL.

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Law enforcement agencies across the country are also preparing for any potential safety threats.

“We will be ready if needed to protect voters and to help de-escalate tensions at the polls,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said.

The report says the agency needs to update key security plans.

It says the department’s leadership turnover and the reorganization of the election security agency have hurt their ability to effectively monitor the nation’s election infrastructure.

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The report calls for changes with how the agency shares information and the timeliness for assessing security issues.

The DHS says it agrees with the recommendations in the report and is making the changes to improve election security.

Read the full report below:

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