Release date:
2/19/2018
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today urged U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to provide his office with information related to election security and possible tampering in North Carolina. “In our democracy, the right to vote, to have one’s vote be counted accurately, and to have one’s vote mean something is absolutely critical,” said Attorney General Stein. “Anyone – particularly a foreign national or foreign government – who tampers with the security of our elections not only is a criminal, but also strikes at the very heart of democracy. That is intolerable. I am asking the Department of Homeland Security to provide us with information necessary to ensure that North Carolina’s elections are fair and secure.”Specifically, Attorney General Stein is asking for:
- Information related to vulnerabilities in the digital election infrastructure currently used in North Carolina.
- Information related to vulnerabilities in commonly used elections hardware and software systems.
- Countermeasures that county, state, and federal officials may use to strengthen election security.
- An update to the NSA report that details Russian hacking efforts in the 2016 election as it relates to North Carolina or any election-system vendors whose products are used in North Carolina.
- Any other information that would help the State of North Carolina or our counties work to prevent interference with our elections in the future.
As Attorney General Stein points out, North Carolina will be holding federal, state, and local elections in 2018. Primaries will occur in fewer than three months. So North Carolina can act quickly to take preventive measures to ensure the integrity and safety of our elections, the Attorney General is asking for a quick response to this letter.
Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484
###