The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is hosting a site dedicated to compiling election security resource amid the COVID-19 pandemic with help from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Per a June 22 announcement from CISA, the agency supported the development of the Election Security Subsector Government Coordinating Council (GCC) and Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) resources on EAC’s COVID-19 website. Both councils are part of the Department of Homeland Security and EAC’s efforts to connect with local officials and members of industry to support secure elections.
During the pandemic, GCC and SCC started a Joint COVID Working Group to address coronavirus-related election security concerns. The new resources include guides on electronic ballot delivery and marking and helping voters request mail-in ballots.
In the electronic ballot delivery guide, GCC and SCC provide a checklist of eligibility, ballot transmission, voter authorization, system, implementation, and security considerations for state and local government officials. The goal of the guide, according to the councils, is to help officials “determin[e] whether the expansion of electronic ballot delivery and marking is appropriate for their jurisdiction.”
To help officials make critical decisions about implementing an expanded vote-by-mail process during the pandemic, GCC and SCC developed a list of answers to vote-by-mail questions and other resources. The guide discusses key points such as how the U.S. Postal Service can act as a vote-by-mail partner, how to make vote-by-mail more effective, and cybersecurity measures to consider when implementing vote-by-mail.
