Cybersecurity and Election Interference
In 2016, national intelligence agencies confirmed that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 presidential election. This was done through propaganda created on social media platforms. No successful hacking of elections systems occurred. To prevent this from happening again and to prevent possible security breaches, Congress allocated $380 million in 2018 to help states strengthen their election cybersecurity. How has California used funding to strengthen the state’s voting system? What concerns were state elections officials addressing when they made their decisions?
In this webinar, campus student leaders explore election security issues with experts – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and Alliance for Securing Democracy’s David Levine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click on any of the FAQs below which will guide you to the relevant California Secretary of State web pages. Use your state’s Secretary of State website as the primary source for elections and voting information.
- What is a provisional ballot? What happens after you cast it?
- What is a common misunderstanding about provisional ballots?
- How can you check the status of your provisional ballot by phone or online?
- Where are the safe in-person voting locations in my county?
- What is the Office of Election Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management?
- How is California working with national intelligence agencies to improve election cybersecurity?
7. How are elections secured in California in all phases of the elections process?
8. What is California doing to curb election misinformation – Vote Sure Initiative?
9. In addition to voting, how can voters help combat elections misinformation?
Related Resources
Research and studies that are mentioned in the webinar can be found here. For accurate and timely information, we recommend that you begin your research here.
- National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) – #TRUSTEDINFO2020
- U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security
- Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD)
4. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) – State Statutes Prohibiting Tampering with Voting Systems
5. Sierra College Library’s Database – This database can be accessed with a Sierra College username and password.
