A bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation Thursday designed to help states protect themselves from cyberattacks in upcoming elections.
Backed by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the Secure Elections Act would give states more resources to shore up election infrastructure.
The bill would authorize block grants for states to upgrade outdated voting technology. It would also create a program for an independent panel of experts to develop cybersecurity guidelines for election systems that states can implement if they choose, and offer states resources to implement the recommendations.
In addition, the legislation aims to expedite the process by which state officials receive security clearances necessary to review sensitive threat information and instructs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal entities to more quickly share this information with relevant state officials.
Full story: Bipartisan group of lawmakers backs new election security bill (The Hill)