Taking federal money to protect Minnesota’s election system was expected to be easier than this.
Taking federal money to protect Minnesota’s election system was expected to be easier than this.
Minnesota was one of 21 states that computer hackers tried to infiltrate during the 2016 election. State officials said the hackers were not successful, but more robust protections were needed to deter future attempts.
Congress responded by approving $380 million in new grants under the Help America Vote Act to beef up online election security. Minnesota’s share is $6.6 million, but to get that money the state has to commit to spending 5 percent in local funds on security.
Complicating matters, Minnesota is one of a few states that needs legislative approval to accept the federal money.
“Minnesota is the only state without access to these funds,” Secretary of State Steve Simon recently told the Senate finance committee. “The threat is real. It is accelerated from where it was in 2016.”
Simon added that he was given a security clearance in order to receive national briefings about future threats. He said he has learned from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security that: “We in the elections world should expect more of these attacks from more sources.”
Last year, lawmakers agreed to give the OK and put up part of the state’s matching portion, but the legislation that the Secretary of State needed to accept the federal money was tied up in a super-sized omnibus spending bill that was vetoed for other reasons.
