The White House has delayed the release of a U.S. government report detailing significant vulnerabilities in voting machines ahead of the midterm elections. The report outlines security gaps but does not claim votes have been manipulated.
The delay raises concerns about transparency and the potential impact on voter confidence and election integrity just months before critical midterm elections.
The White House has delayed the release of a U.S. government report detailing significant vulnerabilities in the nation's voting machines ahead of the November midterm elections, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The report, produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), outlines security gaps such as machines running outdated software and having the ability to connect to the internet, which could be exploited by hackers. However, the report does not state that these vulnerabilities have led to votes being flipped or manipulated.
Internal deliberations revealed differing views among White House officials regarding the report's release. Some argued it could undermine voter confidence, particularly among Republicans, while others felt it did not sufficiently support President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Democrats privately expressed concerns that the administration might use the report to push states toward using paper ballots.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who initiated an investigation into voting machines, is stepping down, and federal housing regulator Bill Pulte will serve as interim director. Pulte has been briefed on the agency's efforts to investigate voting machine flaws, including the unreleased report, though his plans for it remain unclear.
Officials within ODNI and external experts had advocated for fixing the identified flaws late last year to allow sufficient time for coordination with states before the midterms. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle stated the administration continues to assist election officials through the FBI and CISA to ensure machine security. ODNI spokesperson Olivia Coleman affirmed that Gabbard took actions to secure elections and identify critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities detailed in the ODNI report have been known to prior administrations. A second, also unpublished, report by government contractor Mojave Research on voting machines seized from Puerto Rico found no evidence the machines had been hacked. Both reports have been discussed in White House meetings concerning evidence for Trump's claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
ODNI has briefed the White House on its findings for the past six months but has not received authorization to publish them. The Mojave report's contract was terminated in October. The company had recommended an emergency remediation plan to force states to update their software, but this plan has not been implemented.