United States

Feds, States Join Forces to Strengthen Election Cybersecurity

However, some states aren't convinced the federal government should be reaching into an area that has traditionally been the province of the states

In the wake of revelations that alleged Russian hackers targeted state election systems, federal and state officials have joined forces to root out weaknesses in state systems before future elections, NBC News reported.

The project, which will give states access to grants to upgrade election technology and tools to run simulations to examine holes in their systems, is a test for how well officials can work together to ward off potential election-related threats ahead of the midterm elections next year and the presidential election in 2020, experts said. 

However, some states aren't convinced the federal government should be reaching into an area that has traditionally been the province of the states — holding elections. Some experts also question whether something in which participation is voluntary can have any real impact.

The 28-member federal-state group is called the Election Critical Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and includes the Department of Homeland Security, state and local election officials, the FBI, and a federal election council. It will hold its first public meeting this month.

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