Election Officials Must Guard Their Systems — Including from Federal Overreach
State and local officials are the stewards of our democracy. Elections are run by these trusted professionals in our communities, not by the federal government. They register voters, count ballots and certify the results. And when it comes to safeguarding equipment, they simply cannot allow unauthorized access — even if that request comes directly from the White House.
Right now, these barriers are being tested. In Colorado, the U.S. Department of Justice recently made a sweeping and unprecedented demand for access to state voter information. A political consultant, claiming to be working on behalf of the White House, also called several county clerks to gain access to their voting equipment.
As Democracy Docket has reported, other states are similarly being pressed for information, and the administration has seemingly disregarded the independence of the federal Election Assistance Commission by requiring it to implement significant changes to federal elections via an executive order in March, and is now threatening another executive order to undermine voting.
While Washington, D.C., should play an important role in supporting state and local governments, that collaboration must respect clear boundaries. Federal authorities are not exempt from the same laws and regulations that every individual must follow when dealing with our voting systems. Giving access to unauthorized outsiders — whether hackers, political operatives or even federal agencies — can compromise the machinery of our democracy.
Administering elections is complex work. State and local officials are responsible for preserving the integrity of every part of the voting process — from registering voters and counting their ballots to obtaining, programming, testing and storing equipment. That responsibility also includes safeguarding these systems from threats, whether from outside or from inside forces.
Only people who are trained, authorized and accountable to their voters should have access to voting systems. It’s about preventing threats, whether malicious or well-meaning. Many state laws rightfully limit access to these systems, because an open-door policy into our election infrastructure is not transparency — it’s a security risk.
That’s why this moment matters so much. Colorado election officials did exactly the right thing to push back against the demands from the federal government and its political consultant. This response has been bipartisan. Jena Griswold, Colorado’s Democratic Secretary of State, warned, “This all is part of a bigger ploy to further undermine our voting in this country.” Carly Koppes, a Republican clerk in Weld County, said, “Nobody gets access to my voting equipment, for security reasons.”
Not coincidentally, Colorado has recently dealt with the consequences of breaching election security. Following the 2020 election, Mesa County clerk Tina Peters allowed unauthorized access to her county’s voting machines in an attempt to uncover alleged fraud. She was convicted on four felonies and sentenced to nine years in prison. The Justice Department’s recent request came shortly after it filed a statement supporting Peters’ appeal.
Regardless of the intent behind the Justice Department’s demands, the law is clear. Following the breach in Mesa County (and the replacement of that compromised equipment at taxpayer expense!), the state passed the Colorado Election Security Act in 2022. This law, one of the strongest in the country, strengthened the guardrails for Colorado elections by limiting who can access voting machines and making it a felony to tamper with them. That’s how you protect democracy.
Our democracy is only as strong as the people willing to defend it.
The response from Colorado, from resisting federal overreach to passing election security laws, deserves not only praise but emulation. This kind of breach has happened before in other states, so it bears emphasizing: state and local officials across the country, regardless of political affiliation, must refuse unauthorized access to their voting equipment, and states must act to strengthen protections like Colorado did. Even without a Colorado-style law on the books, election officials need everyone’s support to stand firm. And every state must conduct robust audits after every election.
It is only state and local election officials who are sworn to carry out elections. Instead of obstructing their work and poking around in their systems, we should be equipping them with the necessary tools and resources — including funding — that they need to help secure their infrastructure.
Our democracy is only as strong as the people willing to defend it. State and local officials are on the frontlines of this work, and they must stay firm in the tough battles ahead — for the systems they manage and the voters they serve. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Pamela Smith is the President & CEO of Verified Voting, a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to promote the responsible use of technology in elections. Smith plays a national role in safeguarding elections, advocating for secure and fair voting processes, and building working alliances between advocates, election officials, and other stakeholders.