Michigan’s election security stakes are rising and while no votes have been proved compromised, state officials have warned about cyber vulnerabilities, bomb scares and even intimidation of local clerks.
Some argued federal support is key to keeping the system strong but proposed cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have raised new alarms.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., worked on cybersecurity with the Department of Homeland Security and said the security agency has been key to protecting elections.
"They have been great partners with our Department of Technology, our management and budget, to stop ransomware phishing attempts and to provide real time threat sharing for election days in our state," Stevens explained.
Supporters of the cuts argued states already have strong election systems in place and say too much federal involvement could bring red tape, shift control away from local officials or even create new vulnerabilities.
Advocates outside of Congress are also raising alarms.
Brian Lemek, founder and executive director of the advocacy group Defend The Vote, said ongoing threats, from foreign interference to bomb threats, are putting voters and election workers on edge and he emphasized the need for federal funding.
"CISA is essentially being gutted through DOGE," Lemek observed. "Without the infrastructure, without the funding in place, the staffing is down and we're more susceptible to those threats."
Opponents countered pouring in more money will not fix the root problem of declining trust in government. They contended concerns about cyberattacks are overstated and said states and local clerks should remain the primary authority over how elections are run.
