How State and Local Governments Are Securing the 2026 Midterm Elections

Why It Matters

Robust cyber defenses are essential to keep election administration functional and maintain voter confidence, preventing attacks that could slow voting or sow doubt about results.

Key Takeaways

• LA County processed ~1 billion network events using AI analytics.
• Zero‑trust, air‑gapped systems isolate vote‑counting hardware.
• Cradlepoint routers enable real‑time carrier switching for poll sites.
• St. Louis uses FortiGate firewalls and remote‑shutdown poll books.
• Nebraska deploys CrowdStrike EDR on public‑facing election portals.

Pulse Analysis

The 2024 election exposed the sheer volume of malicious traffic targeting local election infrastructure, with Los Angeles County alone logging about a billion anomalous network events. By integrating artificial‑intelligence analytics into its security operations center, the county can triage alerts in real time, distinguishing harmless bots from genuine threats. Coupled with a zero‑trust framework and air‑gapped voting machines, this approach minimizes the attack surface while preserving the speed and usability of electronic poll books, a balance that many jurisdictions are now emulating.

State and local officials are adopting layered defenses that blend technology and process. St. Louis County’s partnership with Fortinet delivers deep packet inspection and automated policy enforcement, while its ability to remotely disable compromised poll books prevents a single device from jeopardizing an entire precinct. Nebraska’s emphasis on endpoint detection and response, particularly through CrowdStrike, safeguards public‑facing registration portals that are prime targets for misinformation campaigns. These measures—network segmentation, rigorous identity management, and continuous tabletop exercises—create a resilient ecosystem that can absorb and recover from cyber incidents without halting voter services.

Looking ahead to the 2026 midterms, the stakes are higher as adversaries leverage AI‑generated social‑engineering attacks and sophisticated ransomware. Maintaining public trust hinges on transparent, rapid response capabilities and a collaborative security posture that includes state agencies, county IT teams, and private‑sector partners. As election technology evolves, the focus will shift from merely defending vote tallies to ensuring the entire electoral workflow remains uninterrupted, reinforcing the legitimacy of democratic outcomes.