Election security

Homeland Security hasn't 'lifted a finger' to determine whether any voting machines were breached

Russian hackers reportedly hit voting systems in as many as 39 states last fall and last week Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed that they identified 21 states as potential targets of hacking. Yet Homeland Security officials have yet to examine any voting machines used in 2016 to determine if they were breached. In fact, they still have no plans to do so, writes TPM's Sam Thielman:

Asked about the decision, a DHS official told TPM: “In a September 2016 Intelligence Assessment, DHS and our partners determined that there was no indication that adversaries were planning cyber activity that would change the outcome of the coming US election.”

Today, DHS stands by that assessment and, therefore, why go to the trouble of spot checking voting machines in the 21 states they identified to see if their determination actually holds up?

Meanwhile, some computer scientists are dismayed at the agency’s inaction.