Early voting is underway, and up to 150 million ballots are expected to be cast nationwide by Election Day on Nov. 5, including more than 140,000 in Lubbock County. With this volume of votes and continued concerns about election integrity, local and national officials are sharing tips and reassurances about polling safety.

Lubbock is all too familiar with the threat of cyber attacks. Last month, cyber security attacks hit UMC Health System in Lubbock and the Texas Tech Health Science Center, affecting the region’s health care system.

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With the growing threat and recent local events, here’s what you need to know about how U.S. and local officials are working together to protect the integrity of this year’s elections.

Who oversees election security and integrity in the US?

Founded in 2018, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency serves as the nation’s cyber defense agency while protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure.

“In 2017, following Russia’s attempts to interfere and influence the 2016 presidential election, election infrastructure was designated as critical infrastructure,” said Director Jen Easterly. “CISA has been designated as the lead federal government agency for election infrastructure security, tasked with providing support to those state and local election officials conducting elections.”

Are voting booths protected from cyber attacks?

“The reality is that the election infrastructure has never been more secure,” Easterly said. “No matter who you vote for, you can trust that your vote will be counted.”

She attributed this security to three factors.

Easterly said the voting machines are not connected to the Internet — a feature that Lubbock County election officials have confirmed.

Second, Easterly said 97 percent of registered voters would cast their ballots in jurisdictions where they would get a paper record they could verify. Lubbock County is one of them.

Finally, Easterly said officials have safeguards in place to make sure every vote is counted accurately, such as post-election audits, which Lubbock County does.

Easterly said the ultimate guarantee of U.S. election security is how each state conducts its elections with different machines and processes.

“This diverse and decentralized nature of our election infrastructure is actually a great source of resilience and strength because it means it is not possible for a malicious actor to hack our voting machines in a way that would materially impact the outcome on the presidential election — certainly not undetected,” Easterly said.

What are some threats to election security?

“Just like we said, the election infrastructure has never been more secure, we have to recognize that the threat environment has never been more complex,” Easterly said.

Some of the threats include ransomware attacks – like the one seen at UMC – that target denial of service on websites.

“There are very real threats from our foreign adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China, who are conducting malign influence and disinformation operations with two key goals in mind: first, to undermine American confidence in the integrity of our elections and, more broadly, in our democratic institutions and to sow partisan discord, to pit Americans against one another,” Easterly said. “We cannot allow this.”

However, some threats appear in a more physical manifestation, such as physical threats against election officials, harassment, bullying, beatings, threats of violence against election officials of both parties and their families.

“It’s important for everyone to keep in mind that election officials are not faceless bureaucrats. They are our family, they are our friends, they are our neighbors,” Easterly said. “We see them in the community every day and they don’t do this work for pay or glory. I do it because I believe in our democracy and that it is the right thing to do to stand on the front lines of our democracy, providing what is most precious, fair, free, safe and secure elections.”

To learn more about CISA and how they are helping to protect this year’s elections, visit: www.cisa.gov/protect2024.

How do ballots work in Lubbock County?

When you first arrive, a poll worker will check you on a new “Poll Pad”. Once you have been registered, you will be given an access code, a privacy file and a blank ballot and directed to a voting machine.

From there, you’ll enter your access code on a touchscreen and insert your ballot into the machine. You will then vote as usual and once you have finished you will be able to print your ballot on the ballot paper.

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After you have picked up your printed ballot, you can check your ballot again and make sure it is accurate. If there is a mistake, flag one of the survey workers for help.

If you find that your ballot is correct, you will then take it to the interactive machine and insert your paper ballot. The machine will read the ballot and drop it into the ballot box below, where it is locked and has multiple seals to prevent tampering.

What can I bring to the polls on election day?

You are required to have some form of identification at the polling booths, including a Texas driver’s license.

If you do not have a driver’s license, then you can bring your US Military ID card, Certificate of US Citizenship or Naturalization, US passport, Texas Concealed Handgun License Card issued by DPS, or a Texas Voter ID issued by DPS.

If you don’t have any of these forms of ID, you can fill one out Statement of Reasonable Impediment form and bring a copy of:

• A government document showing the voter’s name and address, including the voter registration certificate.

• Current utility bill.

• Bank statement.

• Paycheck.

• A certified domestic birth certificate (from a US state or territory) or (b) a document confirming the birth admissible in a court of law establishing the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth certificate.

You can also bring your sample ballot to the polling place as long as it is printed, as Texas prohibits the use of electronic devices while voting. To find and print your ballot, visit: www.votelubbock.org/voting-information/voter-information-lookup/.

This article originally appeared on the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: CISA Director Says 2024 Elections Safe From Cyber ​​Attacks