Overview
- Reporting on July 22, 2026 shows CISA lost large numbers of staff through firings, reassignments and buyouts that materially cut the agency’s ability to support state and local election security.
- Multiple state election officials say they no longer receive routine federal intelligence briefings or access to regional CISA cybersecurity advisers who once helped detect and respond to cross-jurisdiction threats.
- DHS has told states it will tie some election-security resources to participation in the SAVE voter‑verification database, a system that a judge recently found unlawful and that experts say has high error and privacy risks.
- CISA stopped funding the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, forcing local governments to rely on private vendors for threat monitoring, training and technical support.
- Acting CISA Director Nick Andersen has promised an election infrastructure plan within 30 days to offer cyber resources to states, but experts warn the cuts and sidelined counter-foreign-influence teams create practical vulnerabilities ahead of the 2026 midterms.