EDITORIAL: Joint statement from the Florida Secretary of State and Florida Supervisor of Elections in response to cybersecurity and infrastructure concerns

Submitted by the Florida Department of Elections

Recently, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory confirming that Florida is well ahead of the nation on election cybersecurity. The report calls attention to “vulnerabilities” and a voting system version that is neither used nor certified for use in Florida. The report references Dominion Voting Systems Democracy Suite ImageCast X, which was not used in any county in Florida in 2020 or any prior election cycle.

The Florida Secretary of State and the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) appreciate CISA’s vigilance in monitoring the cybersecurity health of the nation’s election systems, and we want to reassure Florida’s voters that voting systems in our state have been and continue to remain secure.

“Florida’s voters can be confident in the integrity of Florida’s elections systems,” said Secretaryof State and Chief Election Officer Cord Byrd. “Florida law is very clear, the paper ballot is the best evidence of a voter’s intent. We recognize that Florida’s robust election laws andprocedures are the cornerstone to ensuring efficient, accurate elections and boosting voter confidence about elections administration in our state.”

Florida’s election officials are compliant with the applicable recommendations in CISA’s advisory, and Florida’s strong election laws and procedures protect the integrity of the state’s election results. Florida voters can rest assured that any potential vulnerabilities mentioned in the advisory had no relevance on Florida’s 2020 elections, nor will they have any impact on the 2022 election cycle and beyond.

Florida election law requires the use of paper ballots, robust certification standards for all voting systems, strict security procedures that are reviewed and updated before each election cycle, pre- and post-election public testing of the voting equipment used, comprehensive chain of custody procedures, background checks on all employees and rigorous post-election audits. Protocols are in place to provide strong preemptive safeguards to prevent any unauthorized person from having unfettered physical access with passwords and access control mechanisms to voting systems.

“The safeguards we have established in Florida to protect the voice of our voters and our democracy are the core of what we do,” said Leon County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Supervisor of Elections President Mark Earley. “The vulnerabilities detailed in the report are analogous to leaving your car unlocked with the keys on the front seat and then being surprised that someone might be able to steal it. That is not how we treat ballots or voting systems in Florida. We keep them securely stored, sealed, locked, and monitored at all times as part of our security procedures. We also test, retest, audit, and review our procedures after each election cycle to continually improve our practices to meet the latest evolving threats.”

No single agency or office can stand alone against the threats we face. That is why it is imperative to continue to strengthen and build dynamic and reliable partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies (such as CISA), all focused on identifying common threats, establishing best practices and educating election officials at all levels on how to best implement security procedures and safeguards to protect every vote.

Voters can be confident in the integrity of Florida’s elections systems,” said Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer Cord Byrd. “Florida law is very clear, the paper ballot is the best evidence of a voter’s intent. We recognize that Florida’s robust election laws and procedures are the cornerstone to ensuring efficient, accurate elections and boosting voter confidence about elections administration in our state.”

Florida’s election officials are compliant with the applicable recommendations in CISA’s advisory and Florida’s strong election laws and procedures protect the integrity of the state’s election results. Florida voters can rest assured that any potential vulnerabilities mentioned in the advisory had no relevance on Florida’s 2020 elections, nor will they have any impact on the 2022 election cycle and beyond.

Florida election law requires the use of paper ballots, robust certification standards for all voting systems, strict security procedures that are reviewed and updated before each election cycle, pre- and post-election public testing of the voting equipment used, comprehensive chain of custody procedures, background checks on all employees and rigorous post-election audits. Assigned protocols provide strong preemptive safeguards to prevent any unauthorized person from having unfettered physical access with passwords and access control mechanisms to the systems.

“The safeguards we have established in Florida to protect the voice of our voters and our democracy are the core of what we do,” said Leon County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Supervisor of Elections President Mark Earley. “The vulnerabilities detailed in the report are analogous to leaving your car unlocked with the keys on the front seat and then being surprised that someone might be able to steal it. That is not how we treat ballots or voting systems in Florida. We keep them securely stored, sealed, locked, and monitored at all times as part of our security procedures. We also test, retest, audit, and review our procedures after each election cycle to continually improve our practices to meet the latest evolving threats.”

No single agency or office can stand alone against the threats being faces. That is why it is imperative to continue to strengthen and build dynamic and reliable partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies (such as CISA), all focused on identifying common threats, establishing best practices, and educating election officials at all levels on how to best implement security procedures and safeguards to protect every vote.

Submitted by the Florida Supervisor of Elections Board, Tallahassee.