Priorities Podcast: The Cyber Experts Helping Local Officials Prepare for 2026, 2028 Elections

Host: Colin Wood (A), StateScoop’s Editor-in-Chief
Guest: Jeff Hale (B), Visiting Fellow for Election Security, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT)
Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores a new initiative from the Center for Democracy and Technology aimed at enhancing local election officials’ cybersecurity capabilities ahead of the 2026 midterms and 2028 national elections. Colin Wood interviews Jeff Hale about the evolution of election security, emerging cyber threats, diminishing federal support, and the practical state of preparedness among local election offices. The conversation touches on how policy, politics, and international tensions are reshaping the way local officials defend U.S. elections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Goals of CDT’s New Election Security Initiative

[01:52]

• Jeff Hale describes his role at CDT:
  • The initiative targets resource and knowledge gaps for state and local officials facing cyber threats in the next two national elections.
  • Focus on securing all election infrastructure, including office and government networks, voting systems, voter registration databases, and e-poll books.
• Key Quote (B, 01:55):

  “It’s really a focus on election infrastructure... how do we ensure that those are well protected from sophisticated cyber actors and those advanced threats?”

2. Evolution of Election Security Since 2016

[03:04]

• Hale recalls 2016 as a pivotal year, with Russian interference spotlighting vulnerabilities:
  • DHS, where Hale worked at the time, began building partnerships with state and local governments, often through “learning by doing” and building trust.
  • Shift from seeing cyber as an ‘IT problem’ to an executive-level issue.
• Key Quote (B, 04:10):

  “Over the course of that 10 years, you saw the maturation of cybersecurity programs for election officials really advanced... It really shifted from a community that may have been hesitant to consider themselves cyber professionals to really embracing that aspect of the role.”

3. The Pressing Resource Gaps of 2026

[06:03]

• Time is the most limited resource for local election administrators.
• The cybersecurity support landscape has fractured:
  • Fewer unified resources from federal agencies.
  • Election officials must now reach out to more disparate sources for threat intelligence and vulnerability information.
  • CDT wants to help connect the dots to keep the burden off local offices.
• Key Quote (B, 06:19):

  “The cybersecurity support environment fractures and there’s a contraction of support... We're looking to ensure at CDT that we're partnering with the right people to translate and fill some of those coordination gaps and get the information down to election officials where necessary.”

4. Diminishing Federal Role and Inter-Agency Trust

[07:34]

• Political changes under the current administration (Trump) have led to:
  • Reduced support and funding for the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and its ISACs.
  • Federal agencies like CISA still possess critical threat intelligence but relationships with the election community have weakened.
• Key Quote (B, 08:19):

  “Organizations like CISA are going to apply fewer resources towards election security. That said, they still have such a critical mission... But that relationship with the election community seems to have been frayed.”

5. Importance of Pre-established Relationships and Information-Sharing

[09:35]

• Having strong partnerships and preparatory exercises is crucial.
• Incident response shouldn’t be “a pickup game.”
• Key Quote (B, 10:12):

  “Cyber is a team sport, and you don’t want it to be a pickup game... if you have to do incident response, all of those things are really different capabilities. And pushing to understand who has what information... is a really key area.”

6. Cyber Threats from Iran and Other Foreign Actors

[11:04]

• Iran has been an aggressive election meddler, notably in 2020 and 2022.
• With today’s international crises, the threat is potentially heightened.
• Local officials are advised to seek intelligence briefings and prepare for more sophisticated adversarial behavior.
• Key Quote (B, 11:30):

  “They have already demonstrated that they are one of the most aggressive actors for election-related activity. What is it going to look like when the safeguards are off, when they have fewer guardrails in place?”

7. CDT’s Organizational Approach

[12:22]

• The initiative works at two levels:
  • National policy: Advocating for robust information-sharing organizations (not in competition with ISACs, but to complement them).
  • Direct support: Delivering cyber guidance, training, and incident preparedness exercises to local election officials.
• Key Quote (B, 12:41):

  “We're working with other organizations to provide the clearinghouse of data to train, to push particular cyber programs... in order to advance the community going forward through 26 and beyond.”

8. Local Preparedness for Insider and Administration-Sourced Threats

[13:46]

• Election officials are seasoned risk managers, skilled in planning for a range of threats—even those from the highest levels.
• Key Quote (B, 13:52):

  “Election officials are natural risk managers... So do I know for a fact that there are plans or insider threat or other elements or engagement from the administration? Not exactly, but I do know election officials to be excellent planners and that they test and prepare for many types of scenarios.”

9. Political Rhetoric and Securing Transparent Elections

[14:46]

• The increasingly partisan environment adds urgency to electoral transparency and independent verification of results.
• Key Quote (B, 14:52):

  “It’s weird that election security has become a partisan issue, but verifying elections hasn’t. So the more safeguards and controls we can put in place for that, all the better.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It’s really a focus on election infrastructure, the progress that has been made over the last decade in securing election infrastructure.” — Jeff Hale, [01:55]
• “I could thank Russia for that because in 2016 I was working for the Department of Homeland Security... and in 2016, Russia had hacked the DNC.” — Jeff Hale, [03:07]
• “It really shifted from a community that may have been hesitant to consider themselves cyber professionals to really embracing that aspect of the role.” — Jeff Hale, [04:37]
• “We're looking to ensure at CDT that we're partnering with the right people to translate and fill some of those coordination gaps and get the information down to election officials where necessary.” — Jeff Hale, [06:20]
• “Organizations like CISA are going to apply fewer resources towards election security... But that relationship with the election community seems to have been frayed.” — Jeff Hale, [08:19]
• “Cyber is a team sport, and you don’t want it to be a pickup game.” — Jeff Hale, [10:12]
• “Election officials are natural risk managers... and that they test and prepare for many types of scenarios.” — Jeff Hale, [13:52]
• “It’s weird that election security has become a partisan issue, but verifying elections hasn’t.” — Jeff Hale, [14:52]

Memorable Moments

• The candid discussion of how election cybersecurity evolved post-2016, when Hale “thanked Russia” for shaking up the field.
• Open acknowledgment of the “frayed” relationship between local election offices and federal security agencies amidst political transitions.
• The discussion of increasing aggressiveness from Iranian cyber actors and the potential impact of the ongoing war [11:04].
• Lighthearted, yet pointed, reference to the President’s behavior on social media, blurring the lines between politics and conspiracy [14:30].

Important Segments & Timestamps

• CDT Initiative Overview: [01:52–02:43]
• 2016 as Inflection Point & Progress Since: [03:04–05:14]
• Resource Gaps in 2026 Environment: [06:03–07:34]
• Federal Shifts & CISA’s Role: [07:34–09:35]
• Value of Relationships in Cybersecurity: [09:35–10:46]
• Iran and Foreign Threats: [11:04–12:07]
• How CDT’s Effort Is Structured: [12:22–13:19]
• Insider/Political Risks: [13:46–14:46]
• Election Security as a Partisan Issue: [14:46–15:10]

Conclusion

In this episode, Jeff Hale provides a comprehensive look into the challenges and opportunities facing local election security moving into the 2026 and 2028 election cycles. He emphasizes the need for ongoing coordination, relationship-building, and filling resource gaps amid evolving threats and diminished federal support. While acknowledging the increasing political complexity, Hale underscores the critical and nonpartisan value of election verification and transparency. The episode offers timely insights for government officials, cybersecurity professionals, and anyone interested in the integrity of American democracy.