States are building their own election defense networks as federal support evaporates
States are building their own election defense networks amid federal withdrawal of support.
US election officials are increasingly building their own defense networks due to a perceived withdrawal of federal support and new legal threats. The firing of Election Assistance Commission commissioners and a DOJ warning about prosecuting election officials for voter registration issues have created a climate of distrust. States are now focusing on internal resources and direct support for local jurisdictions, viewing their own federal government as a primary threat.
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The lesson from this incident
Full lessonThe withdrawal of federal cybersecurity support and the dismantling of the Election Assistance Commission have left state and local election officials increasingly isolated in defending critical democratic infrastructure. Without coordinated federal backing, states face fragmented, inconsistent defenses that create exploitable gaps across jurisdictions. The politicization of election oversight — including legal threats against officials — further erodes trust and discourages information sharing, a cornerstone of effective incident response. This matters because adversaries, both foreign and domestic, benefit most when defenders are divided and resource-constrained. Critical infrastructure protection cannot rely on any single layer of support; resilience must be built redundantly across local, state, and federal tiers.