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State of security: Ohio

Who’s in charge: Secretary of State Jon Husted

Security in action: Ohio has taken several steps this year to bolster its election security arrangement, including using federal funds to update the state’s voter registration system database, provide county boards of elections with enhanced cybersecurity safeguards, and conduct post-election audits.

The Buckeye State spent $12.2 million on these improvements, funded through the federal Help America Vote Act. In addition, five regional training sessions for election officials were conducted that provided boards of elections staffers with the opportunity to evaluate their readiness to deal with cyber threats, while also assessing their ability to perform tasks critical to procedural standards.

State legislators also passed a law prohibiting all voting machines and tabulation equipment from having an internet connection. The machines, which must be certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission and the Ohio Board of Voting Machine Examiners, must undergo pre- and post-election audits to ensure they are ready for Election Day and then that they performed as expected.

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