State Election Officials Respond to Trump Administration’s Midterm Preparations Call

Last week, state election officials received an unexpected invitation from the Trump administration for a late February conference call centered on preparing for the midterm elections, organized by the FBI. This surprise communication came amidst a time of tension, with the Justice Department pursuing lawsuits against numerous states to gain access to unredacted voter rolls, and the FBI conducting a raid on an election office in the Atlanta area. Additionally, President Donald Trump has expressed intentions to nationalize certain elections.

This invitation marked a rare engagement for many state election officials from the current Trump administration, as some noted they had not been contacted in months regarding election security, or at all. Although seven Trump officials, including up to three Cabinet members, were anticipated to attend the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) conference in Washington, D.C. recently, only one White House aide appeared at the event.

“With what occurred recently, the drama at NASS, followed by a sudden email with a predetermined date and time, with everyone’s email exposed—my immediate response was to ask if this was legitimate,” stated Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat.

“In Trump 1.0, the Department of Homeland Security and CISA in particular were excellent partners,” said Minnesota Secretary Steve Simon, a Democrat.

Nine secretaries of state present at the NASS conference, which preceded the FBI’s briefing invitation, reported minimal interaction with the second Trump administration. Last year, this administration dismantled the federal agency responsible for aiding states in securing their elections. During Trump’s initial term, elections were classified as critical infrastructure, leading to the creation of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) under the Department of Homeland Security. CISA provided support through funding and expertise to bolster election security until it faced substantial budget cuts. This also impacted the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a nonprofit agency funded by DHS.

“The disassembly and defunding of the reliable infrastructure that protected our elections from foreign interference means state officials are our primary guardians now,” remarked Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor. In Michigan, efforts are underway to reestablish the support network by hiring former CISA employees.

Challenges have emerged without these previously relied-upon resources. For example, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes decided to notify only state authorities, and not the federal government, after an elections web portal hack last year. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold noted the absence of federal analysts and resources is felt, even though they have started their own threat-monitoring operations.

“We try to compensate, but there’s always uncertainty about what we might be missing,” Griswold mentioned.

Secretaries have expressed the value of federal intelligence briefings during the previous Trump administration, which enabled actions such as Connecticut’s public campaigns against disinformation.

Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas highlighted discontinued briefings: “But now, who knows? We have no briefings.” Despite reaching out for continued communication, responses never materialized.

“State officials are all we have left in terms of guardrails over all these processes,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

The Trump administration’s reduced engagement and support for election security prompted critiques from several state officials, though some states were prepared with independent systems. Nevada and New Hampshire, for instance, relied less on federal aid, with the latter emphasizing state-led cybersecurity efforts.

On the contrary, West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, a Republican, shared his collaboration with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Trump administration, highlighting proactive efforts like vulnerability assessments with local academic institutions.

During the NASS conference, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows questioned the logic of Trump’s executive order on elections, which sought to introduce a documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement and other changes, clashing with constitutional stipulations that allow state oversight with federal regulation.

Overall, the atmosphere among state election officials underscores the ongoing challenges and adaptations required for election security as the landscape of federal support shifts.