Ahead of the midterms, authors Edgardo Cortés, Liz Howard, and Lawrence Norden of the Brennan Center For Justice have come up with a vital document under The Center’s Democracy Program that suggests ways those in charge of elections can protect the vote from cybercriminals, foreign or national.  The document’s title is: Better Safe Than Sorry: How Election Officials Can Plan Ahead To Protect The Vote In The Face of A Cyber Attack.

In the last paragraph of the document’s introduction the authors note that:

This document seeks to assist election officials as they revise and expand existing plans to counter cybersecurity risks. Many existing plans focus on physical or structural failures; the Brennan Center’s recommendations spotlight preventing and recovering from technological errors, failures, or attacks. Advocates and policy makers working to ensure election offices are prepared for technology issues should review these steps and discuss them with local and state election officials. Effective contingency plans will ensure that eligible voters are able to exercise their right to vote and have those votes accurately counted.

The Brennan Center’s Democracy Program is a very influential organization that has produced several important works in the last few years:

The Brennan Center’s Democracy Program works to repair the broken systems of American democracy. We encourage broad citizen participation by promoting voting and campaign finance reform. We work to secure fair courts and to advance a First Amendment jurisprudence that puts the rights of citizens — not special interests — at the center of our democracy. We collaborate with grassroots groups, advocacy organizations, and government officials to eliminate the obstacles to an effective democracy.

About the report authors:

Edgardo Cortés is the Election Security Advisor for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. An expert on election administration and policy, Mr. Cortés served as the first Virginia Commissioner of Elections. During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Board for the Election Registration Information Center and Chairman of the U.S. Election Commission Standards Board. He previously served as the General Registrar in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Deputy Director for Policy and Grants Director at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Mr. Cortés received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and earned his master’s degree in political management from George Washington University.

Liz Howard serves as counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where she works on cybersecurity and elections. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Ms. Howard served as Deputy Commissioner for the Virginia Department of Elections. During her tenure, she coordinated many election administration modernization projects, including the decertification of all paperless voting systems, implementation of the e-Motor Voter program, and adoption of online, paperless absentee ballot applications. Prior to her appointment, she worked as General Counsel at Rock the Vote and as a Senior Associate at Sandler Reiff. She earned her J.D. from William and Mary School of Law.

Lawrence Norden is Deputy Director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. He has authored several nationally recognized reports and articles related to voting rights and voting technology, including Securing Elections From Foreign Interference (June 2017), America’s Voting Machines at Risk (September 2015), How to Fix Long Lines (February 2013), Better Design, Better Elections (July 2012), and Voting Law Changes in 2012 (October 2011). His work has been featured in media outlets across the country, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. He has testified before Congress and several state legislatures on numerous occasions. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Read “Better Safe Than Sorry” here.