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UpdateNationalMonday, October 19, 2026

DHS political appointees asked cybersecurity division to hack voting machine

Reporting by
Election Law Blog (Rick Hasen)
““This Cybersecurity Agency Is Supposed to Protect U.S. Elections. Officials Fear It’s Been Compromised by Trump.””, Monday, October 19, 2026
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What happened

Political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security asked the agency's cybersecurity division to secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it, according to ProPublica. The request came a few months into President Donald Trump's second term. The request has raised fears among officials that the agency responsible for protecting U.S. elections has been compromised.1

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The answers behind this
Voting machines and election securityWhat protects the result if someone tries to interfere after the vote?Can a president use a national emergency to take over elections?

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Sources

  1. Election Law Blog (Rick Hasen), https://electionlawblog.org/2026/this-cybersecurity-agency-is-supposed-to-protect-u-s-elections-officials-fear-its-been-compromised-by-trump · Monday, October 19, 2026

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