Minnesota is the only state that has not used funds to ensure secure ballots; thank you, Kiffmeyer [View all]

From today's strib:

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Amid the warnings of Russian interference, Minnesota lawmakers remain at odds over using more than $6 million in federal funds approved by Congress more than a year ago to shore up election security. Minnesota is the only state that has yet to touch its share of the $380 million federal appropriation. At the same time, a measure co-sponsored by Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar to improve cybersecurity information sharing between federal agencies and local election workers also is at a standstill.

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Secretary of State Steve Simon wants to upgrade the state’s 15-year-old system, which he said is vulnerable to attack, and hire a “cyber navigator” that federal Homeland Security officials recommend states employ to help improve cyber defenses in local communities. But despite initial optimism for bipartisan cooperation, the federal money has become a flash point of discord between Simon, a Democrat, and Senate Republicans who would like to steer resources into voter ID laws and other measures aimed at alleged voter fraud, which they consider a more urgent priority than possible foreign hacking.

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The Republican-controlled Senate has approved $1.5 million to modernize the statewide voter registration system over the next four years. But Simon is urging lawmakers to free up the full pot of federal money to bolster the state’s cybersecurity efforts.

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Former State Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, a Big Lake Republican who now chairs the Senate’s committee on elections, wants to limit immediate access to that $1.5 million while downplaying the urgency voiced by Simon. “People are being hacked all the time,” said Kiffmeyer, a longtime supporter of voter ID laws. “You’re being hacked all the time, I am. This is no big thing.”

More..

http://www.startribune.com/while-hackers-threaten-2020-election-systems-politics-intrude-on-security-fixes/508851922/