Voting officials fear DHS may actually be a threat to elections this year
Voting officials in the U.S. fear the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), now led by Markwayne Mullin, may undermine election integrity by spreading election denial claims and misusing voter data. Local election workers, including Matt Crane from Colorado, are avoiding federal cooperation due to distrust over data confidentiality and past ties to false fraud narratives.
Former CIA operative Gary Berntsen has long promoted the debunked claim that Venezuela interfered in the 2020 U.S. election, despite lawsuits and settlements proving otherwise. His efforts gained traction when Markwayne Mullin, then a U.S. senator and now DHS secretary, arranged a meeting at Mar-a-Lago for Berntsen to brief Donald Trump’s team on election conspiracy theories. Local election officials now view DHS as a threat rather than a partner, citing Mullin’s history of election denialism. In January 2021, Mullin refused to certify the 2020 Electoral College results and later voted against certification amid the Capitol riot. Trump has publicly called for federal control over elections, raising concerns about political interference. Matt Crane, a former Republican county clerk and leader of Colorado’s election officials, warned against sharing voter data with DHS. ‘I don’t trust how the administration is using that data,’ Crane said, adding that the agency’s election security point person, Heather Honey, has a record of spreading misinformation. The shift in federal election security policy has left officials wary, with many refusing cooperation. Crane compared DHS to ‘the fox in the henhouse,’ signaling a breakdown in trust. The 2024 midterms now face heightened risks as local workers prioritize safeguarding elections from perceived federal threats over federal oversight.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.