(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — On Monday, March 10, the Department of Homeland Security decided to terminate funding for the Center for Internet Security (CIS), which El Paso County Clerk and Recorder said will significantly impact election security efforts in the state.
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said CIS provided cybersecurity services to state and local elections offices through initiatives like the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). Schleiker said the elimination of funding for those programs means local election offices like El Paso County may lose access to critical resources such as cyber threat intelligence, incident response support, and real-time information sharing.
El Paso County said the programs did not cost El Paso County taxpayers anything, and with the absence of these programs, the office will need to look for alternative methods to monitor and protect against cyber threats. Schleiker said that could involve reallocating local resources, investing in new cybersecurity tools, or establishing direct partnerships with other federal or state agencies to fill the gap left by CIS.
Schlieker also said those programs helped combat misinformation and disinformation campaigns as the programs played a role in monitoring and addressing such challenges.
Schleiker said the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office prioritizes the security and integrity of our elections. All voting equipment is air-gapped, meaning the systems are not connected to the internet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth at any time. Additional security measures include paper ballots, signature verification, and transparent audits.
Pueblo County Clerk Candace Rivera called for the EI-ISAC to be protected.
“The EI-ISAC is both a necessary and critical program that safeguards the integrity and security of elections in the United States. Deep funding cuts to this program are a cause for extreme, grave concern not only to me as a County Clerk, but also to Election Officials across the country,” said Rivera.
Colorado’s top election official, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, said her office is working to fill potential gaps.
“Colorado will continue to set the standard when it comes to election security and accessibility. Our elections have multiple layers of security, and we are always anticipating new threats and taking action to prevent them,” said Griswold. “My office goes above and beyond federal security best practices because we are committed to ensuring every Coloradan has their voice heard.”
