DHS appointees asked CISA to secretly hack a voting machine
Political appointees at the US Department of Homeland Security asked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to secretly acquire and hack a voting machine, then report its findings to the White House, ProPublica reports, citing two former officials. CISA staff objected to a direction not to notify the machine’s manufacturer about any flaws; the plan was abandoned after staff said it could not be carried out.
Bottom line — The request was dropped, but ProPublica reports that CISA has also lost about a third of its workforce.
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One former official told ProPublica the request raised fears that findings could be used to challenge election results.
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ProPublica reports that the agents capable of the operation had been laid off, partly explaining why CISA staff said it was impossible.
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Several state election officials told ProPublica that CISA provided no help or explanation during key stages of 2026 midterm planning.
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CISA published its 2026 election security plan on 24 September, later than in previous years, according to ProPublica.
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ProPublica reports that the administration released raw information states had shared with CISA, despite a longstanding expectation that it would remain confidential.