JOHNSTON, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Election officials say they’re seeing the most threats they’ve ever seen. At the same time, they say the electoral system has never been more secure.

On election night, state and federal agencies will be at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston to monitor the election.

Dept. of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director John Benson said: “The best case scenario is that we sit here for a long time and do nothing. That’s what I expect to happen, but if something were to happen, we have all the right agencies here to coordinate any kind of action that we would need to take as a state.”

Dept. of Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens says DPS will alert Iowans about false information and monitor physical threats to poll workers or polling places.

“Historically, false information has focused on alleged changes to polling stations, hours of operation or the existence of voter intimidation in an effort to spread fear and distrust,” he said.

Although Iowans vote on paper ballots and ballot tabulators are not connected to the Internet, various state and federal agencies monitor cyber threats to election sites.

Iowa National Guard Major Chris Johnson said: “We will remain vigilant as we monitor any attempts to tamper with the election website and associated electronic digital networks.”

The FBI is the main agency investigating election crimes and the agency has set up command posts across the country to monitor any threats.

Clint Nafey, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Omaha officesaid: “We encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.”

The Cyber ​​Security and Infrastructure Security Agency says 97% of Americans and 100% of Iowans have an auditable paper trail of their vote so you can trust election results.

CISA Region 7 Agency Director Phil Kirk said: “Participate in our democracy. Get out there and vote, and if you have questions about the process, remember that your state and local election officials, your local county auditors, are the best sources for accurate information.”

Iowa voting tabulators were tested before early voting began.

After the election, there will be an audit, where bipartisan teams will hand out the ballots of randomly selected precincts in each county. The audits perfectly matched the results in each county after the 2020 elections, the 2022 midterms and the 2023 school board races.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email them at [email protected]; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.

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