As Americans, we are proud to claim free and fair elections as a basic tenet of our democracy. The guarantee of “one citizen, one vote” is the hallmark of secure democratic elections. Globally, more than half of all people are denied free and fair elections, among other civil liberties.

Why is election security important?

Election security affects all of us. We go to the polls with the confidence that our vote will count. Even if our candidate doesn’t win, it is our civic duty to represent our interests at the ballot box on election day.

Historically, there are often detractors who will contest the final election results. Yet, in the U.S. there is a long-standing tradition of the losing candidate conceding victory to the winner. The peaceful transition of power is a key part of our democratic ideals.

However, if a majority of people question the validity of an election result, the confidence in our democracy is undermined. Outside interference could open the door to chaos. That’s why the work to ensure election security is so important. 

Who is working to ensure our election security?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works to protect elections across the U.S. Specifically, the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the lead federal agency that collaborates with state governments to ensure election security. The evolving nature of threats to elections requires constant vigilance, innovation, and adaptation.  

While this national agency helps to manage risks, the ultimate responsibility of administering any election is on state and local governments. 

That’s why the Virginia Department of Elections works closely with DHS and the Virginia Information Technology Agency to provide cyber services that modern-day elections require. With the advent of new technologies, the states face several stumbling blocks to election security. 

What are the problems facing election security?

The digital revolution of the 21st century has yielded new technologies that have been incorporated into the electoral process. These have been known to increase the efficiency of elections, but they also come with their own slew of vulnerabilities. 

Elections have become easier to manipulate because digital systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks from hackers. 

In July, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee released a bipartisan report with evidence that Russia targeted U.S. election infrastructure in the 2016 Presidential election. 50 states were targeted in this unprecedented attack on election security. 

While the Commonwealth of Virginia administers our elections, it cannot fight the powerful forces of foreign “cyber armies” alone. The federal government did not warn state governments of the extreme threat of foreign election interference. This failure on the part of DHS could continue to put our democracy at risk in future elections. 

What are some solutions to election insecurity?

States have a big role to play in securing elections. A basic step is better communication with the federal government to defend against cyber-attacks. Other election infrastructure issues include aging voting equipment, paperless machines without back-ups, and insecure voting registration databases.

The “Help Americans Vote Act” (HAVA), established in 2002 and renewed 2018, is a federal grant designed to secure and improve the election system. Virginia is included in the highest funding bracket, receiving over nine million dollars. To receive this grant, the state submitted a funding proposal with an itemized budget of activities. 

With the funds, Virginia has big plans for election security: increased cybersecurity training, increased security for elections data, and establishing more robust certification standards for voting equipment.



While there has been no mandate to do, in 2017 many districts in Virginia returned to paper ballots as a means of ensuring election security. So the ballots are hand marked with a voter’s choice and then counted by an electric scanner. Most importantly, the original paper ballots are retained so that they can be verified if a recount becomes necessary. Advocates believe this to be the most secure method. Localities are very often ill-equipped to handle the cyber-security needed to maintain electronic voting machines, leaving paper ballots as a viable alternative. 

Our ability to hold secure elections are what make us a free and fair democracy. As voters, we can empower ourselves by staying informed in order to hold our government accountable. It is vital that Virginia continue its efforts to make our votes secure, especially in this election year.