Trump’s plans to gut cybersecurity agency would be a disaster for America’s elections

Since the 2020 election, concerns centering on our elections have been at the forefront of national discourse. These concerns, fueled by baseless claims of voter fraud and anti-voter conspiracy theories have led to a variety of false narratives and situations we’ve found ourselves within, including the infamous fake elector scheme, the debunked "2000 Mules" film and numerous legal battles involving those who seek to alter the course of democracy.

The echo of disinformation about our elections continues to reverberate, and it remains crucial for voters and officials alike to address the very real and present issue of protecting our elections. 

Despite it all, one thing is clear: The systems that protect our elections are working. One way we can affirm this stance is through the efforts of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

This agency within the Department of Homeland Security has played a pivotal role in securing America’s elections, from monitoring emerging cybersecurity threats and developing strategies to combat disinformation, to helping county and state election officials run free and fair elections. Despite this, the Trump administration is planning to gut it by firing up to thousands of employees and cutting its budget by as much as 90 percent.

This would be an unequivocal disaster for our nation’s cybersecurity, and our elections would face vulnerabilities like we’ve never seen before. For the sake of our democracy, this agency’s work safeguarding our elections must be preserved. 

​During my tenure as an election security specialist with Michigan’s Secretary of State Office, I worked closely with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency throughout multiple election cycles, and it’s no exaggeration to say that voters are able to cast their ballots freely and fairly because of this agency.

Michigan has a decentralized election system, which requires the coordination of 1,603 local and county election officials. In this environment, collaboration and intelligence sharing are crucial. This agency provides exactly that — offering a wealth of knowledge and resources to help Michigan’s election officials prevent, identify and mitigate potential cyber threats and disinformation campaigns.

The agency not only provides guidance on the best practices for securing election systems, but it also helps monitor global threats and coordinates with other national and international agencies to protect our elections and the strong systems we have in place. In an age where cybersecurity is an ever-evolving challenge, the cybersecurity agency’s expertise and constant vigilance are vital to preventing both external and internal threats to our democracy. 

However, this agency is not immune to political pressures. Under the Trump administration, it is facing threats of defunding and weakening, despite the agency’s essential role in safeguarding our elections. These moves, aimed at discrediting and undermining the agency’s effectiveness, not only make our election systems vulnerable but also threaten the trust that voters place in the election process itself.

If this agency were to be defunded or manipulated to suit a particular political agenda, the void left behind would be substantial. States would need to step up to fill the gap, and organizations, like All Voting Is Local, are already working to understand how states can fill those critical roles. But this should not be the burden of states alone.

The federal government, through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, must continue to provide the infrastructure, intelligence and resources that election officials across the country rely on. And it must also remain nonpartisan and free of any agenda that may allow bad actors to take advantage and undermine the will of the people.

The way the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has operated in the past — as a nonpartisan, professional body focused on securing critical infrastructures such as elections  — has worked for every voter in this country. We cannot afford to let political manipulation or underhanded defunding jeopardize the protections we have on our elections or the work done by our local election officials to ensure the foundations of our democracy remain intact.

Protecting our democracy and elections is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental aspect of democracy that must be protected, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has proven time and again that it is capable of fulfilling this role.

At a time when trust in elections is fragile, it is more important than ever to stand behind the institutions that safeguard our democratic processes. As we look to the future, we must ensure that this agency remains intact and that its work is supported to protect America’s elections. Our democracy depends on it.

Ashiya Brown is the Michigan state director at All Voting is Local.