House Actions on Election Security Bode Well for 2020

As a U.S. cybersecurity company, McAfee supports legislation that aims to safeguard U.S. election security. After the 2016 election, McAfee sees the importance of improving and preserving election security; we even offered free security tools to local election boards prior to the 2018 elections and released educational research on how localities can best protect themselves in future elections. As the 2020 primary elections quickly approach, it is more important than ever that the federal government takes steps to ensure our election infrastructure is secure and that states and localities have the resources they need to quickly upgrade and secure systems.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 2722, the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) that would allocate $600 million for states to secure critical election infrastructure. The bill would require cybersecurity safeguards for hardware and software used in elections, prevent the use of wireless communication devices in election systems and require electronic voting machines to be manufactured in the United States. The SAFE Act is a key step to ensuring election security and integrity in the upcoming 2020 election.

Earlier this year, the House also passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act. During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing prior to the bill’s passage, the committee showed commitment to improving the efficiency of election audits and continuing to incentivize the patching of election systems in preparation for the 2020 elections. H.R. 1 and the SAFE Act demonstrate the government’s prioritization of combating election interference. It is exciting to see the House recognize the issue of election security, as it is a multifaceted process and a vital one to our nation’s democracy.

McAfee applauds the House for keeping its focus on election security and prioritizing the allocation of resources to states. We hope that Senate leadership will take up meaningful, comprehensive election security legislation so our country can fully prepare for a secure 2020 election.