easyt65
Diamond Member
- Aug 4, 2015
- 90,307
- 61,150
"All 50 state secretaries of state are urging the Trump administration to rescind a last-minute Department of Homeland Security directive calling state election systems “critical infrastructure.”
Many state officials fear this is the first step toward a federal takeover of state-run elections"
Just prior to this last election the Obama administration hinted at possibly taking over elections systems due to the threat of Russian hacking, which appropriately set off alarm bells...
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson Proposed Making Election Systems Federal-Controlled Critical Infrastructure
"While deep political discord may be found on other issues, state secretaries — who oversee all election machinery — appear completely united against the former administration’s attempt to insert the federal government into state-run elections.
Then-Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson surprised and outraged state election officials with his Jan. 6 action, just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump was to assume the presidency.
Johnson tried to portray his move as part of the Obama administration’s effort against Russian government hacking of Democratic Party emails during the presidential campaign. But state officials retort that election machines and the infrastructure are not connected to the Internet and therefore are immune to cyber-security attacks.
Johnson sent shockwaves through every state capital when he issued his official proclamation, stating, “I have determined that election infrastructure in this country should be designated as a subsector of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector.”
He broadly put all state election facilities under the federal “critical infrastructure” purview. His designation would affect all state-operated polling places, centralized vote tabulations location, election storage facilities and IT systems holding voter registration databases.
He also angered state officials because the federal designation would exempt future election activities from public access via the Freedom of Information Act or from state open record laws."
The In-Coming Turmp administration DHS Secretary finds Johnson's directive 'troubling':
"Incoming DHS Secretary John Kelly indicated in written testimony prior to his confirmation he was troubled by Johnson’s directive.
“The notion that DHS can or should exercise some degree of influence over state voting systems is highly controversial and appears to be a political question beyond the scope of DHS’ current legislative cyber mandates,” Kelly wrote."
Bi-Partisan Puss-Back
"Association president Denise Merrill, who also serves as the secretary of state for Connecticut, told TheDCNF in an interview, “I’m certain this will be a hot topic among all of us." “I haven’t heard one Secretary of State — Democrat or Republican — that’s for this,” she said. Merrill is a Democrat."
'BLATANT MOVE TO POLITICIZE ELECTIONS(?)
"Critics contend the action was part of a long-standing goal by progressive activists to “nationalize” future elections with a federal takeover.
“There’s no denying what this looks like: a blatant move to politicize the election process,” wrote Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner in a Jan. 16 opinion article."
“I think that the Obama administration was interested in a universal or nationwide registration data base versus the states doing that. It was part of nationalizing elections which I think is a terrible idea.”
While the Obama administration tied its action to Russian hacking, election machinery is not connected to the Internet."
Democrats And Republicans Unite To Rescind Last-Minute Obama Order Seeking Federal Election Takeover
Many state officials fear this is the first step toward a federal takeover of state-run elections"
Just prior to this last election the Obama administration hinted at possibly taking over elections systems due to the threat of Russian hacking, which appropriately set off alarm bells...
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson Proposed Making Election Systems Federal-Controlled Critical Infrastructure
"While deep political discord may be found on other issues, state secretaries — who oversee all election machinery — appear completely united against the former administration’s attempt to insert the federal government into state-run elections.
Then-Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson surprised and outraged state election officials with his Jan. 6 action, just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump was to assume the presidency.
Johnson tried to portray his move as part of the Obama administration’s effort against Russian government hacking of Democratic Party emails during the presidential campaign. But state officials retort that election machines and the infrastructure are not connected to the Internet and therefore are immune to cyber-security attacks.
Johnson sent shockwaves through every state capital when he issued his official proclamation, stating, “I have determined that election infrastructure in this country should be designated as a subsector of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector.”
He broadly put all state election facilities under the federal “critical infrastructure” purview. His designation would affect all state-operated polling places, centralized vote tabulations location, election storage facilities and IT systems holding voter registration databases.
He also angered state officials because the federal designation would exempt future election activities from public access via the Freedom of Information Act or from state open record laws."
The In-Coming Turmp administration DHS Secretary finds Johnson's directive 'troubling':
"Incoming DHS Secretary John Kelly indicated in written testimony prior to his confirmation he was troubled by Johnson’s directive.
“The notion that DHS can or should exercise some degree of influence over state voting systems is highly controversial and appears to be a political question beyond the scope of DHS’ current legislative cyber mandates,” Kelly wrote."
Bi-Partisan Puss-Back
"Association president Denise Merrill, who also serves as the secretary of state for Connecticut, told TheDCNF in an interview, “I’m certain this will be a hot topic among all of us." “I haven’t heard one Secretary of State — Democrat or Republican — that’s for this,” she said. Merrill is a Democrat."
'BLATANT MOVE TO POLITICIZE ELECTIONS(?)
"Critics contend the action was part of a long-standing goal by progressive activists to “nationalize” future elections with a federal takeover.
“There’s no denying what this looks like: a blatant move to politicize the election process,” wrote Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner in a Jan. 16 opinion article."
“I think that the Obama administration was interested in a universal or nationwide registration data base versus the states doing that. It was part of nationalizing elections which I think is a terrible idea.”
While the Obama administration tied its action to Russian hacking, election machinery is not connected to the Internet."
Democrats And Republicans Unite To Rescind Last-Minute Obama Order Seeking Federal Election Takeover
