Election officials brace for foreign threats — and an unpredictable Washington

With the midterms days away, the system that normally lets Washington warn state and local election administrators about foreign meddling is in its worst shape since 2016, according to nearly a dozen election security experts who spoke with CNN. Intelligence officials still see Russia, China and Iran trying to sway American voters, but cuts to federal programs have made it hard to pass those warnings along. Artificial intelligence is also amplifying foreign disinformation.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which handled a major part of election defense in Donald Trump's first term, was gutted in his second. The administration has tried to rebuild, but sources say with little result. A hastily assembled online threat-sharing platform lacks the standing earlier tools had, and a long-awaited classified briefing in mid-October was delayed by video problems before being held again. A CISA spokesperson said authorized partners get access daily on request, but gave no count of users.

Election security expert Ryan Macias said the relationship has broken down, with many officials unsure whom to call during an incident. David Becker, co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said no election official he knows is currently passing cyber information to federal agencies.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →