Officials Warn That CISA Budget Cuts Undermine US Election Security

Recent federal budget cuts allocated to U.S. cybersecurity initiatives have significantly heightened the vulnerability of state and local election offices to increasing digital threats, according to warnings from state and former federal security officials. These cuts have raised concerns about the security of election infrastructure as the nation gears up for future electoral processes.

According to Suzanne Spaulding, a senior advisor for homeland security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the budget reductions from the White House to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have resulted in the “effective demise” of critical election security programs. This includes the dismantling of the agency’s election information security and advisory council and the cessation of various federal initiatives designed to bolster election security.

Spaulding elaborated in a virtual briefing that funding cuts have severely incapacitated two hubs intended to assist state and local election offices. Furthermore, the disbandment of CISA’s foreign malign influence task force has stripped federal authorities and local stakeholders of essential tools and insights needed to comprehend and counter foreign election interference.

These remarks coincide with extensive budget reductions and workforce downsizing across federal cybersecurity teams, resulting in uncertainty and instability among hundreds of employees who are anxiously awaiting judicial decisions regarding the legality of these cuts.

Various state and local security officials have expressed urgent concerns over the inadequacies of federal election security during the Trump administration. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt noted that “no state on their own” can sufficiently compensate for the loss of federal resources, underscoring the critical role CISA has played in election security.

Reflecting on a recent incident in late 2024 where bomb threats were purportedly orchestrated from a foreign source against county election offices, Schmidt recalled how CISA provided crucial support in countering misinformation campaigns and preventing the dissemination of false narratives regarding election integrity.

As experts have pointed out, the administration’s restructuring of federal entities has increased the susceptibility of the nation’s critical infrastructure to cyber threats. Michael McLaughlin, a former naval intelligence officer, warned that CISA’s uncertain future under the current administration poses widespread risks across important sectors, including the electoral system.

Moreover, experts caution that adversarial nations are actively seeking to exert influence over cyberspace, capitalizing on the U.S.’s waning engagement in global cybersecurity discourse. Former Ambassador Deborah McCarthy remarked that nations such as Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly viewing information management as an area of legitimate state control, using it to manipulate international events.

The White House has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding these significant funding cutbacks that affect critical support for election security, prompting widespread concern among professionals dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.