"6 Election Security Threats to Watch for on Election Day"

The midterm elections face digital threats, ranging from stolen Twitter accounts to hacked election websites, which could confusion and unrest long after the polls close. There is a risk that hackers could infiltrate voting machines and other election infrastructure in order to undermine votes. Because the US has many safeguards in place to protect voting equipment, any actual hack would most likely be localized, quickly detected, and unlikely to affect final results. Regardless, even the attempt to change votes or the mere allegation of tampering could erode trust in the outcome. The US officials responsible for election security say they are on the lookout for threats from various groups and countries. In addition, social media companies and cybersecurity researchers have identified Chinese influence operations aimed at the elections in recent months. According to Matthew Weil, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Democracy Program, increased attention to voting system security has not eliminated critical technical and human threats to elections. Since 2016, the federal government has worked to improve coordination with state and local officials on addressing digital vulnerabilities, promoting trusted information sources, and more. Officials in the Biden administration say this is one reason they have seen less foreign interference than in 2016. However, as Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, whose agency oversees federal election security efforts, recently told reporters, the current election threat environment is more complex than it has ever been. She cited how cyberattacks, disinformation, the harassment of election officials, and other different threats are overlapping. This article continues to discuss the threats to keep an eye out for as votes of the midterms are cast, including mis- and disinformation, election office and campaign website crashes, campaign social media account hijacking, cyberattacks on voter registration databases, targeted voter harassment, and wireless modems enabling hacks of voting machines or vote tallies. 

Politico reports "6 Election Security Threats to Watch for on Election Day"