Pennsylvania election chief warns of security funding cuts

Pennsylvania's election chief, Al Schmidt, has warned that federal cuts to election security programs will weaken election safety. He expressed concerns in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, highlighting the importance of support from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA recently cut $10 million in funding for programs that assist local election officials, including the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center. These programs provide crucial cybersecurity intelligence and support. The cuts come after CISA reduced staff focused on foreign interference in elections. While CISA stated that election infrastructure will still receive some support, the termination of the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center has raised alarms about increased vulnerability to cyber threats.