State moves forward on election security plans

Two members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s cabinet are combining their resources to enhance public confidence in New Jersey’s election security plans.

Secretary of State Tahesha Way and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Jared Maples say they are increasing deterrence, detection, and response resources and making relevant upgrades to the State’s election systems.  The New Jersey Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) has been upgraded and modernized, and rollout is set for some time after the June primary.  The Division of Elections and the state Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell is conducting training and working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conduct a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment prior to the rollout.

State law mandates that voting machines never connect to the internet, which makes the issue a discussion of physical security, not cybersecurity.

“As the state’s chief election official, I am working with our team to reaffirm New Jersey’s commitment to election security. We are engaging in vital training sessions, constructing interagency communication channels, and helping to integrate best practices downstream to strengthen the security of elections here in New Jersey,” said Way.  “The Division of Elections has been and continues to work with federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and other third-party security experts to continuously improve our security posture as the threat landscape evolves. The Department of State is working to ensure that every individual able to cast a ballot in November can do so knowing the state affords a safe and secure system.”

Way is looking at additional enhancements to ensure that the physical voting machine is impenetrable, including tamper-evident seals, pre-election testing protocols, and hardening and installation of anti-virus software on all computers used for election management.

“We are committed to providing cybersecurity assistance to state and local officials throughout this election cycle and beyond,” said Maples.  “We are working with county and municipal election officials to offer security services and continuously monitor our systems. To that end, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell provides near real-time awareness of cyber threats and analysis, shares information on sound digital resilience and risk mitigation practices, and acts as a resource for cybersecurity incident reporting.”