AthenaStrategies LLC

That’s a wrap! CSSE’s March 2025 Member Meeting just came to a close, and it was a valuable opportunity to bring together election officials, law enforcement, and security experts for meaningful discussions on collaboration, preparedness, and best practices. Some key themes from the day: ✅ Reflections on 2024 – Examining how preparation and coordination shaped the past election cycle and what we can take forward. ✅ Strengthening Partnerships – Reinforcing the importance of trusted relationships between election officials and law enforcement to ensure safe and accessible elections. ✅ Crisis Preparedness – Discussing strategies to address challenges in a way that prioritizes safety, communication, and confidence in the process. ✅ Looking Ahead – Focusing on practical, common-sense approaches to navigate evolving challenges while ensuring elections remain safe and secure. This meeting reinforced what we already know—collaboration is key. Thank you to all who participated and shared their expertise. A huge thank you to our members for driving this critical work forward! #CSSE #ElectionSecurity #Collaboration #LawEnforcement #SafeElections #Preparedness

Kathy Boockvar was recently interviewed by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star about the recent announcement that Pennsylvania has awarded a contract with government technology provider Civix to replace and upgrade PA’s voter registration, election night reporting, campaign finance, and lobbyist registration systems.    Boockvar noted that Civix has a strong reputation in the industry and understands the need for robust layers of security in conjunction with effective and user-friendly technology. Civix has provided election technology to more than 20 states, creating and implementing modern, user-friendly and secure election and voter systems.  In addition to updating the voter registration system, Boockvar praised the replacement of the also-outdated election night reporting website, noting that more information would be helpful for the public to understand not only what votes have been counted, but also what ballots have not yet been counted. But she also noted that one of the biggest problems with ballot counting and reporting is in the hands of state legislators. About 45 states allow ballots to begin to be processed by election officials before election day. Not PA. State law currently prohibits mail-in ballots from being processed until the polls open on Election Day. She called for the state legislature to pass legislation to change this. “The earlier [election officials can start canvassing mail ballots], the earlier people can get results,” Boockvar said. She pointed to last year’s narrow U.S. Senate race, which took until late November to be certified for Dave McCormick, because of how close the race was. The PA General Assembly could easily pass a law to remedy this issue, but has chosen not to. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eyKv8T43 #ElectionSecurity #TrustedInfo2025 #ProtectOurElections 

The Trump administration has made further significant cuts to important federal cyber and election security agencies and programs, elevating risks to national and election security and presenting serious challenges for state, county and local officials. In a recent story by Votebeat about the cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”), Kathy Boockvar described the extensive cybersecurity and physical security support and services that CISA has provided to election officials over the last 8 years, noting that “the resources they provide were one of the great successes of the [first] Trump administration. I hope they continue to lead on that.” Unfortunately, now much of that critical support for state and local governments has alarmingly been discontinued, raising the threat risks across the U.S. The administration’s initial cuts to CISA staff and freezing of security services and support to election officials has been followed by their termination of the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (“EI-ISAC,”) and other significant reductions in election security funding. The EI-ISAC had provided critical security tools, incident response, technical support and guidance to election officials on how to strengthen their security protections, and it remains to be seen what support and services will still be available to chronically underfunded and understaffed election officials.    These cuts are taking us in the wrong direction and are putting our national security at risk. Election security is a race without a finish line - we need to keep building and strengthening walls of protection faster than those who are trying to tear them down. This requires constant vigilance. If we care about continuing to provide safe, secure, and accurate elections to citizens of our country, we should be investing more in election security and administration, not less.   For more information: https://lnkd.in/eMzGAb3R https://lnkd.in/eR6YnSRn     #ElectionSecurity #Cybersecurity 

Our Judges need to be able to perform their important functions without fear for their security or the security of their families or court staff.

📢 The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections is now on LinkedIn! As we strive to ensure safe and secure elections, it's crucial to recognize the importance of protecting election workers and voters from threats and intimidation. The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) has spent years bringing together cross-partisan experts in election administration and law enforcement at every level. And that work continues—because election safety isn’t seasonal; it’s a year-round priority. Here’s how we’re making a difference: 🤝 Strengthening collaboration between election officials and law enforcement to proactively address election challenges. 📖 Providing critical resources—In 2024, we developed law enforcement quick reference guides for every state and D.C., helping equip officers with the information they need to uphold their jurisdiction’s election operations and protect election officials and voters. 100,000 copies were distributed last year alone. 🎯 Preparing for real-world scenarios—We facilitate tabletop exercises (TTXs) across the country to equip state and local officials with the tools to respond to potential threats. …and much more. Follow along here on LinkedIn to stay updated on our latest insights, resources, and news. Learn more: https://safeelections.org/ #SafeElections #CSSE

If you care about our democracy, and the security and integrity of our elections, read the story linked below. The entire election security apparatus at the federal level, which was built up over the last 8 years, has been completely eliminated in the last 2 weeks. The City of Cranston alone - if we had to hire private vendors for the cybersecurity services, training, intelligence, evaluations, and analysis that we have been getting for free for the last few years - would have needed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars we do not have. Our elections infrastructure is being left wide open to attack. https://lnkd.in/eJNzBCi2

Kathy Boockvar recently spoke with NPR about the Trump administration’s cuts to the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and termination of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force. Both these agencies have been key in helping defend against foreign influence in U.S. elections and supporting election officials’ work to strengthen election security, and the cuts to them will have significant consequences.  Boockvar emphasized that much of the work that was done by these teams in the last 5-10 years - much of which began during the first Trump administration and was a significant achievement of theirs - was a tremendous support to state and local election officials and now will leave gaps that adversaries will likely quickly attempt to exploit. Election and security officials are resilient and will have to find solutions to fill those gaps, which adds challenges and costs to already difficult jobs. "Every cut made to our election security and foreign malign influence operations is like handing a gift on a silver platter to our foreign adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran," said  Boockvar. "It directly strengthens their ability to invade our national security and interfere in our elections, leaving every American citizen more vulnerable." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/emHqjjKT #ElectionSecurity #ProtectOurElections 

The ABA supports the rule of law. Read full message: https://ambar.org/r6k2ainr

A new analysis by the Election Infrastructure Initiative sheds light on the significant financial strain local election officials faced during the 2024 election cycle, and the critical need for sustained, forward-thinking funding of our elections. In the 2024 cycle, election officials faced numerous challenges including natural disasters, efforts by foreign adversaries and domestic terrorists to disrupt or interfere, aging equipment, inadequate staffing, and legal challenges and late-breaking policy changes, all overwhelming already-stretched thin budgets to ensure the security and accessibility of our elections.  The report, based on news data and case studies across the U.S., calls for urgent, sustained investment to strengthen the resilience of election infrastructure. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eBUtR2AJ Key findings from the report include: 🔹Emergency spending drains resources: Local election jurisdictions spent an estimated $33 million on emergency costs during the 2024 presidential election cycle alone.  🔹Foreign interference exacerbates strain: Threats of violence, cyberattacks, and malign influence campaigns by adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran forced election officials to redirect resources to immediate security measures, public communication, and voter protection. 🔹Natural disasters compound vulnerabilities: Storms, floods, and hurricanes destroyed polling locations and disrupted voting processes. It is projected that on top of the funds already spent, an additional $160 million in recovery and infrastructure investments will be needed to recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and attacks on election equipment. 🔹Aging infrastructure leads to costly delays: Breakdowns of outdated voting machines, electronic poll books, and other equipment caused long lines and delayed results, highlighting the urgent need for modernization. 🔹Legal challenges and last-minute policy changes create severe burdens: Last-minute legal rulings and policy adjustments forced election officials to reallocate time and budgets, adding stress to an already overburdened workforce. 🔹The need for proactive investment: The report emphasizes that proactive budgeting and investment is more cost-effective than emergency expenditures. Comprehensive and forward-thinking funding to invest in necessary equipment upgrades, staff training, and emergency preparedness would strengthen election security, reduce lines and equipment breakdowns, enhance voter experience, and help to restore public trust. The Election Infrastructure Initiative’s findings underscore the pressing need for robust, consistent funding to ensure elections remain secure, resilient, and accessible.  Visit the Election Infrastructure Initiative's website here: https://lnkd.in/etrYYSfj #FundElections #ElectionSecurity

Thank you to Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein for your important op ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer, highlighting the critical role of poll workers and the reminder that in PA, some of those positions are elected offices on the ballot this year! Poll workers are the backbone of our democracy, ensuring elections run smoothly, fairly, and that every vote is counted. Yet too often, these essential roles remain unfilled. Read the full op-ed and learn how to run for Judge and Inspector of Elections here: https://lnkd.in/ebBUxniR This is not just a Philadelphia issue—it’s a statewide and national challenge. Judges of elections and inspectors play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity, efficiency, and fairness of the voting process, and we need your help.  As the op-ed emphasizes: “We must recruit and empower the next generation of poll workers to step up and protect our democracy.” This is a call to action for Pennsylvanians—and for every citizen across the country. Becoming a poll worker is a deeply impactful way to contribute to democracy. Training is provided, poll workers are compensated, and the opportunity to make a difference is immeasurable. Ready to help? Here’s other ways you can sign up if you don’t want to run: 🔹 Pick your state in the drop-down box on this page: https://lnkd.in/eDrM5Jz     🔹 Sign up through Athena Strategies’ page with Power the Polls: https://lnkd.in/eCWcNjqM     🔹 If you’re in PA, learn how to become a poll worker here: https://lnkd.in/ebn8ebZQ For more election information and resources: 🔹 More details about state-by-state election information and security can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e_PatBJW     🔹 A library of other election-related resources can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e2GsyBr6   #DemocracyInAction #PollWorkers #Elections