The Systematic Dismantling of Election Security: A Grave Threat to American Democracy

The Foundation of Election Security Partnership

The year 2017 marked a pivotal moment in American election security when the Department of Homeland Security designated election systems as “critical infrastructure” during the final days of the Obama administration. This designation emerged as a direct response to evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, representing a crucial acknowledgment that our electoral systems required federal protection against sophisticated foreign threats. Initially, this move faced bipartisan opposition from state election officials who feared federal overreach and potential loss of state control over elections.

Denise Merrill, then president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, helped lead this opposition, with NASS issuing a bipartisan resolution urging the new administration to rescind the designation. The resolution explicitly stated that “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has no authority to interfere with elections, even in the name of national security.” This initial skepticism reflected deep-seated concerns about federal authority encroaching on state responsibilities that are fundamental to our decentralized electoral system.

Building Trust and Cooperation

Despite initial resistance, something remarkable occurred during the subsequent years. The critical infrastructure designation elevated elections into a national security category that brought essential federal cybersecurity resources and intelligence sharing on threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), created in 2018, emphasized that states remained in control while offering voluntary, responsive support driven by state needs. Under the leadership of Chris Krebs and Matt Masterson, CISA positioned itself as a convener rather than a regulator, building trust through consistent presence at conferences, trainings, and briefings.

The agency brought private companies like Microsoft and Facebook directly to election officials to share intelligence about foreign interference. It offered cybersecurity scans, threat response simulations, and physical security assessments—all on request. This collaborative approach won over initially skeptical officials like Matt Crane, who went from concerned county clerk to working for CISA as a contractor. By late 2018, participation in federal election security programs had grown rapidly, with all 50 states joining the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC).

The Unraveling of a Vital Partnership

The current administration has systematically dismantled this hard-won partnership, creating dangerous vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure. Weeks into the second term, NASS warned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the federal election security partnership built since 2017 was unraveling. CISA subsequently halted approximately $10 million in annual funding for critical information-sharing groups, citing a need to focus on “mission critical areas.” This funding cut has severely weakened information sharing on threats and slowed coordinated responses to cyber and physical dangers.

Election technology companies have begun pulling back from sharing sensitive information with CISA, fearing that vulnerability data could be exposed or used against them in an increasingly politicized environment. This retreat from transparency creates exactly the kind of vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries could exploit. The leadership vacuum at CISA—nearly a year without a Senate-confirmed director—further compounds this crisis of confidence and capability.

The Grave Consequences of Political Interference

What we are witnessing is nothing short of a catastrophic failure to protect the foundational element of our democracy: free and fair elections. The deliberate dismantling of election security infrastructure represents a profound betrayal of public trust and a dangerous politicization of national security. This isn’t merely a policy disagreement—it’s an active undermining of the systems that protect our democracy from foreign interference and domestic threats.

The attacks on former CISA Director Chris Krebs for truthfully stating that the 2020 election was “the most secure” in U.S. history demonstrate the toxic environment that has poisoned nonpartisan election security work. When career professionals face retaliation for telling the truth about election integrity, we have crossed a dangerous threshold that threatens the very fabric of our democratic institutions.

The Human Cost of Security Erosion

The individuals mentioned in this article—from Denise Merrill to Chris Krebs, Matt Masterson to Gabriel Sterling—represent dedicated public servants who worked across party lines to build something extraordinary. Their efforts created a robust defense system that protected American elections from sophisticated threats. The current administration’s disregard for this achievement isn’t just politically shortsighted; it’s actively dangerous.

State and local election officials now face the November elections with diminished federal support, relying on patchwork solutions and stretched budgets. The coordinated national communication system once run through CISA has been replaced by informal phone calls, email lists, and association meetings. Some states have turned to alternative agencies or private companies, trading CISA’s standardized approach for looser, less uniform processes that cannot provide equivalent protection.

The Path Forward: Restoring Trust and Security

We must demand immediate restoration of full election security funding and support. The federal government has a constitutional responsibility to protect our elections from foreign interference, and this administration is failing spectacularly in that duty. Congress should exercise vigorous oversight to ensure that CISA receives adequate funding and leadership to fulfill its critical mission.

The partnership between federal agencies and state election officials must be depoliticized and reinforced with clear statutory authority that protects both state autonomy and national security interests. We need legislation that explicitly defines CISA’s role in election security while safeguarding against overreach—creating the stability and trust that has been so recklessly destroyed.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

The dismantling of election security infrastructure represents one of the most serious threats to American democracy in recent memory. We cannot allow partisan politics to compromise the integrity of our electoral system. Every American—regardless of political affiliation—should be alarmed by these developments and demand immediate action to restore robust election security measures.

Our democracy depends on free, fair, and secure elections protected from foreign interference and domestic manipulation. The current administration’s actions are creating vulnerabilities that our adversaries will undoubtedly exploit. We must stand together as Americans first and partisans second to protect the sacred institution of free and fair elections. The time for action is now—before our democracy suffers damage that could take generations to repair.