CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, held a conference call with state election officials on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the upcoming midterm elections. The briefing was hosted by the National Association of Secretaries of State and included Acting Director Nick Andersen and Jim Harrell, head of integrated operations at CISA. Three sources who participated in the approximately one-hour call provided accounts of the discussion.
The outreach effort comes with Election Day roughly 85 days away, despite earlier concerns from some election officials that CISA had been slow to engage on election security this cycle. During the call, CISA committed to providing physical and cybersecurity assessments upon request and recommended that election officials work through regional directors for coordination, a process that has been in place during past election cycles.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic-leaning observers and some election security advocates expressed concern about the timing and substance of the briefing. According to sources on the call, one secretary of state asked pointedly why they should trust working with CISA when DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin had threatened to prosecute election officials who did not cooperate with the Trump administration just weeks earlier.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic lawmakers have previously warned that rhetoric from the administration could undermine confidence in federal agencies tasked with protecting election infrastructure. Several progressive election reform groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice, have documented what they describe as a significant erosion of the federal election security workforce under the current administration.
"The people who are supposed to protect our elections are being hollowed out while we're 85 days away from voters going to the polls," said one Democratic congressional aide familiar with election security matters, speaking on background.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican officials and supporters of the Trump administration pointed to CISA's outreach as evidence of a functioning federal-state partnership on election security. The White House has maintained that President Trump's concerns about foreign interference in U.S. elections are legitimate and that robust verification measures are necessary.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a recent press conference that the administration was "committed to ensuring every legal vote counts" and that CISA's engagement with states represented "exactly the kind of coordination we need heading into November." The Republican National Committee has similarly emphasized election integrity measures in communications to supporters.
"The president is right to be concerned about foreign actors trying to influence our elections," said a senior Republican official who tracks election security issues. "CISA reaching out to state officials with 85 days to go shows this administration takes that threat seriously."
What the Numbers Show
According to reporting by PBS NewsHour and confirmed by multiple sources, CISA has lost approximately one-third of its workforce during the second Trump administration. The Foreign Malign Influence Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has been significantly reduced, as has the FBI's election security division.
CISA officials on Tuesday's call acknowledged that Iran, Russia, and China have attempted to influence previous U.S. election cycles, consistent with prior intelligence assessments from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The agency did not provide specific threat details during the briefing.
On voter registration systems specifically, one source noted particular interest because President Trump has raised concerns about these systems multiple times in recent public statements and meetings with governors.
The Bottom Line
The call highlighted a tension between CISA's traditional role as a federal resource for state election officials and questions of trust stemming from political rhetoric at the highest levels of government. Some secretaries of state who participated described the briefing as "security theater" rather than substantive assistance.
State officials asked about specific resources including tabletop exercises, penetration testing, and intelligence briefings, but sources said responses to those requests were noncommittal regarding whether such support would be available before November elections. Election officials indicated they had already made their own contingency plans to address gaps in federal support.
With 85 days until Election Day, state election officials across both parties will be watching closely to see whether CISA provides the concrete assistance it offered during Tuesday's call. The coordination between federal and state authorities on election security remains a critical unknown heading into the midterms.