Why It Matters
Federal law prohibits certain types of intimidation of or interference with election workers, while the current status of some federal executive branch activity on election worker safety and privacy is uncertain, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. Reported threats and a perceived increase in politically motivated job scrutiny have led some workers to leave or consider leaving their positions, raising concerns about staffing and institutional capacity in election administration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed eliminating funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's election security program in its budget justifications for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, cutting the $39.61 million it reported previously allocating for the program. Congress moved in the other direction, designating that same amount for CISA's election security work, including Election Security Advisors and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, in P.L. 119-86. The report does not say whether the funds are being spent as designated.
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is currently without commissioners following resignations and removals in April and July, though the agency has indicated it believes work such as administering grants can continue.
The Big Picture
CISA discontinued its election information-sharing center funding in 2025, reportedly placed Election Security Advisors on administrative leave, and did not operate an Election Day situation room for the 2025 elections as it had in prior cycles. Some state and local officials have reported limited access to services the agency previously provided.
CISA released an updated 2026 election infrastructure security plan on Sept. 24, indicating that Regional Directors are now serving as Election Security Advisors and that the agency is making an information-sharing platform available to fusion centers and state and local officials, along with security clearances and threat briefings.
The Department of Justice announced a task force in July 2021 to address threats to election workers, but its website has since been archived, with the last noted update dating to May 2025. Some members of Congress have written to DHS and DOJ to encourage them to continue or clarify the status of election worker safety activities.
At the state level, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted or updated legislation addressing election worker protections since 2020, as of July 2025, including laws in New Hampshire and Oregon.
Legislation introduced in the 119th Congress would expand federal criminal prohibitions on intimidation, authorize grants for recruiting and training election workers, and direct DOJ to assign FBI special agents to investigate threats. None of those measures had advanced beyond committee referral as of the report's publication.
The Bottom Line
Federal support for election worker safety has been scaled back or left uncertain in several areas, so protection for election workers relies heavily on state and local action.
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