The intelligence community is set to convene to brief all 50 states to help prepare their election systems for forthcoming elections.
The classified briefings on Friday and Monday will be led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI, and representatives from all 50 states are expected to attend.
According to a notice, officials from the National Association of Secretaries of State, the National Association of State Election Directors, and the Election Assistance Commission will be there as “part of an ongoing effort to ensure the integrity and security of the nation’s election infrastructure, particularly as the risk environment evolves.”
The briefings are expected to focus on “increasing awareness of foreign adversary intent and capabilities against the states’ election infrastructure, as well as a discussion of threat mitigation efforts.”
The briefing comes after intelligence heads testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee about “worldwide threats,” which included Russia.
Russia will likely be the “most capable and aggressive source” of influence in forthcoming U.S. elections, according to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
In a lengthy statement given Tuesday, Coats said influence operations, “especially through cyber means,” will remain a threat to the U.S. to “shape foreign perceptions and to influence populations.”
