Election Security

Latest Releases

Overview

The security of our nation’s elections is important for several reasons, including to ensure voters have the ability to vote, preserving the confidentiality of voters’ selections, and protecting the integrity of each election outcome. NIST conducts research into election system cybersecurity challenges and identifies standards, guidelines and technologies that can improve the security of these systems. To keep up with the evolution of technology, NIST helps to develop innovative security technologies that enhance the nation’s ability to address current and future election security challenges. NIST is known for establishing cybersecurity standards and guidelines in an open, transparent and collaborative way. Collaboration with the election community (e.g., election officials and election vendors) and federal partners (i.e., the U.S. Election Assistance Commission) is important to NIST because engagement with these groups helps ensure guidance is relevant to those who are key to keeping elections in operation. When developing election security guidance, NIST considers accessibility, usability, and any potential impact on voters and election officials.  

NIST performs research that examines the following:

• Threats to election systems
• Standards for securing election systems technology
• Implementation guidance for applying security best practices to election systems/technology

NIST partners with the following agencies:  

• CISA  – provides a suite of security services 
• EAC  – election administration support 

Implementation Guidance

• Cybersecurity Framework Election Infrastructure Profile (Final)
• Implementation Guidance for VVSG 2.0: Multi-factor Authentication (Draft)

Research

• End to End Verification
• Voting System Hashes
• Sigma Ballots (July 2010)
• Attacking Paper-Based E2E Voting Systems (February 2010)
• On the Privacy Threats of Electronic Poll Books (October 2010)

Remote Voting

• Risk Management for Electronic Ballot Delivery, Marking, and Return (cisa.gov)
• UOCAVA Voting

Help for Election Officials

• Election Security Guides
  • Multi-factor Authentication
  • Trustworthy Email
  • Data Integrity and Recovery

If you have questions, please email the project team at election-security [at] nist.gov (election-security[at]nist[dot]gov).