How officials work to secure the vote

JOHNSTON, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Election officials say they are seeing the most threats they have ever seen. At the same time, they say the election system has never been more secure.

On election night, state and federal agencies will be at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston to monitor the election.

Iowa Department of Homeland security and emergency management Director John Benson said: “The best-case scenario is that we sit here for a long time and do nothing. That’s what I expect will happen, but if something were to happen, we have all the right agencies here to coordinate any kind of action that we need to take as a state.

Iowa Department of Commissioner for Public Safety Stephan Bayens says DPS will warn Iowans about false information and monitor physical threats to election workers or poll workers.

“Historically, false information has centered around alleged changes to polling places, operating hours or the existence of voter intimidation in an effort to sow fear and distrust,” he said.

Although Iowans vote on paper ballots and vote tabulators are not connected to the Internet, several state and federal agencies are monitoring cyber threats to election websites.

Iowa National Guard Major Chris Johnson said: “We will remain vigilant as we watch for attempts to tamper with the election website and its associated electronic digital networks.”

The FBI is the primary agency investigating election crimes and has set up command posts across the country to monitor any threats.

Clint Nafey Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Omaha officesaid: “We encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says 97% of Americans and 100% of Iowans have a paper trail of their vote that can be verified, so you can trust election results.

CISA Agency Region 7 Director Phil Kirk said: “Participate in our democracy. Get out and vote, and if you have questions about the process, remember that your state and local election officials, your local county auditors, are the best sources for accurate information.

Iowa’s vote tabulations were tested before early voting began.

After the election, an audit will take place, with bipartisan teams counting ballots from randomly selected precincts in each province. The audits perfectly matched the results in each county following the 2020 elections, the 2022 midterm elections and the 2023 city school board races.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him [email protected]; and follow him on Facebook Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @Connerreports.