WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) issued the following statement today.
“Tens of millions of Americans will cast their ballot tomorrow as we elect the next President and Vice President of the United States, as well as decide numerous congressional, state, and local races. None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of state and local election officials in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. They have been working for years to get ready for tomorrow, and they will continue working long after the polls close in the evening. They are the heroes of our democracy, and CISA and the EAC are proud to support them.
“We appreciate the partnership of the National Association of Secretaries of State and National Association of State Election Directors. These organizations represent election officials serving every American. We echo the sentiment in the statement they issued today.”
The full statement issued by NASS and NASED is as follows:
“We are proud to represent state and territorial election officials in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. Election officials make it possible for Americans to safely and securely participate in tomorrow’s general election. Planning for tomorrow’s election began four years ago, and the election community is prepared. Our members, along with their colleagues at the local level, have devoted extensive time, energy and resources to safeguard America’s elections.
“As with any Election Day, it is important to note operational issues may arise: for example, voting locations could open late, there could be lines during busy periods, or an area could lose power. These are inevitable challenges that will arise on Election Day, but election officials have contingency plans for these and other scenarios. Americans can have confidence the election is secure, and the results will be counted accurately.
“Remember election night results are always unofficial. While the focus on election night is on who won and who lost, those races are called by the media, not election officials. In the days and weeks to come, election officials will count every eligible ballot, including ballots cast in-person on or before Election Day, mail ballots, provisional ballots, and ballots cast by military and overseas voters. Accurately counting millions of ballots takes time and it is important to be patient. Some races will be close and may require a recount or a recanvass. Many election officials will also conduct audits to verify the accuracy of the results. We implore all Americans to understand these processes are normal and done in accordance with state and territorial law.
“There are thousands of state and local races on the ballot across the country, in addition to the presidential race. We encourage eligible voters who have not already cast their ballots to do so tomorrow.”
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate, and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.