Nonpartisan voting security said vital
DES MOINES, Iowa — Those entrusted with securing the nation’s voting systems must remain nonpartisan as complex and growing risks threaten U.S. elections, one of the nation’s top cybersecurity officials said Saturday.
Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she was focused on ensuring the agency stays out of politics, builds trust among state and local election officials and continues to provide support and guidance on how to increase cyberdefenses.
“It’s incredibly important that we develop the right collaborative partnerships with all state and local election officials so that they know, regardless of what party they are, we are here to provide resources to help them ensure the safety and security and resilience of their elections,” Easterly said.
On Saturday, Easterly was in Des Moines to speak with state election officials who are gathered for the National Association of Secretaries of State’s summer conference. She urged officials to work with her agency to combat misinformation and disinformation in elections.
“With respect to getting that information out, this absolutely has to be a team sport and, frankly, a whole-of-nation effort,” Easterly told the election officials. “Ensuring that we can tap into all of you to help amplify getting the facts out and busting the myths that are out there that prevent people from having full faith and confidence in our election system is something that we’re going to have to do together in close partnership.”