Brennan Center for Justice and R Street Institute have released a guide titled “A State Agenda for Election Security and Resiliency” to assist state governments in preparing for the 2026 and 2028 elections. This publication aims to help local election officials safeguard elections amid declining federal support and evolving threats.
“In 2024 we saw state officials stepping up to help local election officials run safe, secure elections. Every state needs leadership like that to protect our elections as we head into the midterms,” stated Derek Tisler, coauthor of the agenda and counsel in the Brennan Center’s Elections & Government Program.
The agenda provides strategies for enhancing cybersecurity and physical security at local election offices. These include utilizing state agencies with relevant expertise, enacting protective state laws, and increasing funding for local elections.
In 2024, American election systems faced challenges such as bomb threats against polling places and destruction of ballot drop boxes. The new agenda offers a framework for building on past successes to address these complex threats.
“Security and resilience are core elements of an election system that is worthy of public trust,” said Chris McIsaac, coauthor of the agenda and resident fellow at R Street Institute. He emphasized the unique opportunity for state and local officials to develop innovative policy solutions to ensure secure American elections in the future.
The guide is available online.
