Fair and free elections are a hallmark of American democracy. The American people’s confidence in the value of their vote is principally reliant on their confidence in the security and resilience of the infrastructure that makes the Nation’s elections possible. Accordingly, an electoral process that is both secure and resilient is a vital national interest and one of CISA’s highest priorities.
CISA is committed to working collaboratively with those on the front lines of elections—state and local governments, election officials, federal partners, and vendors—to manage risks to the Nation’s election infrastructure. CISA will remain transparent and agile in its vigorous efforts to secure America’s election infrastructure from new and evolving threats.
Announcements
October 23: Today, CISA released Real Fake—a graphic novel that communicates the dangers and risks associated with dis- and misinformation campaigns. The plot shows how threat actors capitalize on political and social issues (especially around election cycles) to plant doubt in the minds of targeted audiences and steer their opinion.
Download/share the Real Fake graphic novel and transcript.
October 20: CISA launched the #Protect2020 Rumor vs. Reality. This web page addresses some common election-related rumors, provides factual information, and lists the resources to support these facts.
- Visit the #Protect2020 Rumor vs. Reality
October 19: Today, CISA released the Physical Security of Voting Locations and Election Facilities which is a general guide with resources and four actionable steps—to Connect, Plan, Train, and Report—that election officials should consider to improve the physical security posture and enhance resilience of election operations in their jurisdiction.
- Download and share the Physical Security of Voting Locations and Election Facilities
October 14: CISA published the Assisting Sick, Exposed, Symptomatic, and Quarantined Voters which provides measures for election officials to consider to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the November elections. This document is part of a series produced by the Election Infrastructure Subsector’s GCC and SCC Joint COVID-19 Working Group.
- Download and share the Assisting Sick, Exposed, Symptomatic, and Quarantined Voters.
Overview
Every year, citizens across the United States head to their local polling stations in order to cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) works to ensure the physical security and cybersecurity of the systems and assets that supports the Nation’s elections. Known as election infrastructure, this assembly of systems and networks includes but is not limited to:
- Voter registration databases and associated IT systems
- IT infrastructure and systems used to manage elections (such as the counting, auditing, and displaying of election results, and post-election reporting to certify and validate results)
- Voting systems and associated infrastructure
- Storage facilities for election and voting system infrastructure
- Polling places to include early voting locations
In January 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated the infrastructure used to administer the Nation’s elections as critical infrastructure. This designation recognizes that the United States’ election infrastructure is of such vital importance to the American way of life that its incapacitation or destruction would have a devastating effect on the country.
CISA is committed to working collaboratively with those on the front lines of elections—state and local governments, election officials, federal partners, and vendors—to manage risks to the Nation’s election infrastructure. CISA will remain transparent and agile in its vigorous efforts to secure America’s election infrastructure from new and evolving threats.
For a collection of voluntary tools and resources, visit the Election Security Resource Library.
CISA’s Election Services
While ultimate responsibility for administering the Nation’s elections rests with state and local governments, CISA offers a variety of free services to help states ensure both the physical security and cybersecurity of their elections infrastructure. Additionally, election infrastructure’s critical infrastructure designation enables CISA to provide services on a prioritized basis at the request of state and local elections officials.
 Cybersecurity Assessments |
 Detection and Prevention |
 Information Sharing and Awareness |
 Training and Career Development |
Election Security Resources
- Election Security Resource Library
- Election Security GCC and SCC Resources
- Election Disinformation Toolkit
- COVID-19 Disinformation Toolkit
- Cyber Incident Detection and Notification Planning Guide for Election Security
- Election Infrastructure Cyber Risk Assessment and Infographic
- Guide to Vulnerability Reporting for America’s Election Administrators
- Mail-in Voting in 2020 Infrastructure Risk Assessment and Infographic
External Resources
For questions or more information, please email us at EISSA@cisa.dhs.gov.