Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and members of the commonwealth’s Interagency Election Security and Preparedness Workgroup today reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the integrity of the Nov. 3 general election and protecting Pennsylvanians’ unobstructed right to vote.
“Ensuring that our citizens have a secure election is a priority of ours on every front, from cybersecurity to voting system security to on the ground security,” Secretary Boockvar said. “Interference in voting is illegal. Our emergency management, elections, and law-enforcement partners are engaged in our communities and monitoring all available communications channels to mitigate misinformation and intimidation.”
The Interagency Election Security and Preparedness Workgroup was formed in 2018 by Gov. Wolf and has engaged in unprecedented collaboration since then to secure Pennsylvania elections and prepare for situations that might arise on election day. Workgroup members include the Department of State, Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Pennsylvania Office of Administration, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania National Guard, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Governor’s Office and the Office of State Inspector General.
“The PSP is engaged with its local law enforcement partners and has the personnel and resources in place to keep the community safe throughout the election cycle,” said Colonel Robert Evanchick. “PSP continues to collaborate with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and other state agencies to ensure election infrastructure cyber security. On Election Day, law enforcement will work to ensure all Pennsylvanians can safely exercise their right to vote.”
Workgroup members are in frequent communication and will collaborate through every available means, including through activation of the PEMA resources that occurs on every Election Day.
“Over the years, PEMA has worked with federal, state and county partners to improve our ability to share timely and useful information among officials at all levels of government,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “Having a clear understanding of conditions or incidents that could affect the ability of our fellow citizens to freely participate in an election is vital to quickly responding and mitigating the problem.”
The Department of State has been working with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other state and federal partners to share intelligence and identify information and sources that will be monitored on Election Day. The presence of multiple partners at PEMA on Nov. 3 will help the Department of State track situations and will enhance communication with each county’s emergency operations and elections offices, law enforcement and our federal and state partners.
The Office of Attorney General will be fully mobilized on election day with civil and criminal attorneys in every region of Pennsylvania serving as the People’s attorneys. The office will also have analysts, agents, and attorneys embedded with the FBI and all other state and local partners.
“We must ensure all eligible votes are counted. This historic collaboration between local and state agencies gives us the ability to ensure a free, fair and secure election process,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “Interference, intimidation, and fraud undermines that ability and we will not stand for it.”
With a record number of Pennsylvanians registered to vote, the officials reminded voters that in addition to state and federal laws dictating how elections are carried out, county election boards have broad authority under the law and will be in close contact with local law enforcement and the Office of Attorney General as needed.
“Pennsylvania is a recognized leader among states in cybersecurity,” said Secretary of Administration Michael Newsome, whose office oversees cybersecurity for state agencies, including the Department of State. “We are constantly evaluating our cybersecurity practices and capabilities, and utilize multiple layers of security and industry standards, to safeguard against potential threats. We also work closely with partners in federal, state and local government, higher education, law enforcement and the private sector to share information and resources related to cybersecurity. Pennsylvanians can be assured that we are doing everything we can to protect their data and this election.”
In addition to working with the county boards of elections, the Center for Internet Security and other key partners, the Pennsylvania National Guard is engaged in maintaining and enhancing the security of Pennsylvania’s election process.
“The Pennsylvania National Guard is proud to once again provide cyber security support to our counties and state agencies as it has for the past four elections in the commonwealth,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Voters have the right to vote without being subjected to intimidation, harassment or discriminatory conduct. A voter who experiences intimidation should report it to their county board of elections and the district attorney’s office. Voters can also call the Department of State at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or the U.S. Department of Justice’s Voting Section at 1-800-253-3931.
