Election Security: Protecting the Foundation of Democracy Election Integrity

It has become clear over the past several years that maintaining U.S. election integrity is not just a single agency’s responsibility. Conducting fair and accurate elections is the responsibility of each state and territory. Meanwhile, nation-states, partisans, and scammers can interfere with voter information, try to cast doubt on election outcomes, and spread disinformation across social media, to name just a few.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued a report in early 2021 pointing out that enemies of the U.S. see our elections “as an opportunity to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and processes, sow divisions in our society, weaken our alliances, and promote their political, economic, or ideological agendas.”

When used by election officials, artificial intelligence tools can play an important role in ensuring that elections are carried out securely, reliably and efficiently. These tools, combined with increased cybersecurity measures, can protect election officials and poll workers, uncover instances of fraud or disenfranchisement, and tally votes faster.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the types of threats election officials are most worried about in advance of the 2024 elections
• Identify where in the election cycle AI can contribute to protecting the integrity of voting systems and processes
• Delineate the role that IT departments play in election cybersecurity, from preventing breaches to guarding against phishing and other scams