States Take On Midterm Election Security
With federal cybersecurity support for elections reduced, states are relying on local law enforcement, the National Guard and private IT firms to protect the 2026 midterms.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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After federal cuts to election security programs in 2025, states have assumed greater responsibility for securing the 2026 midterm elections, which will contest all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats. Arizona's Department of Homeland Security is coordinating election-day security among cybersecurity specialists, the FBI and the National Guard.
Why it matters
Large-scale reductions in federal election security programs and funding have left state and local authorities as the primary line of defense for the national contests. The shift affects how elections across the United States are protected as voters head to the polls.
The data comes from reported federal cuts and the midterm calendar rather than a measured outcome. The extraction does not quantify the workforce reduction or the funding total, and the adequacy of state replacements remains unassessed.
The players
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
CISA is the federal agency responsible for protecting U.S. critical infrastructure, including election systems, and it cut its workforce and services in 2025.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The FBI is the principal federal domestic law enforcement agency and is part of Arizona's coordinated election-day security effort.
Arizona Department of Homeland Security
Arizona's state homeland security department has assumed coordination of election security for the state's 2026 midterms.
The details
CISA cut its workforce and services in 2025 and suspended funding for a data-sharing hub used by election commissions, ending regular federal briefings and direct technical help for regional authorities. States have turned to local law enforcement, the National Guard and private-sector IT companies, while CISA still provides basic services upon request and paper ballot backups are widely used.
Timeline
2025: CISA reduces its workforce and services and suspends the election data-sharing hub funding.
November 3, 2026: Midterm elections are held for the new Congress.
Political Context
The 2025 CISA reductions to election security services and suspended funding for the election data-sharing hub have shifted responsibility from federal agencies to states. Republicans are seeking to keep their majorities in both chambers, while Democrats are hoping to win control of the legislative branch.
Voters in the 2026 midterms will cast ballots under election systems protected by a mix of state agencies, local police, National Guard units and private contractors rather than federal cybersecurity support. Paper ballot backups remain widely available as a safeguard in many places.
The takeaway
Election security now depends more heavily on state and local preparation, so voters can check whether their state publishes details on its election-day safeguards and paper ballot backup procedures before the midterms.
Further reading
For more on how the 2026 contests are shaping up, see the Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Al Mayadeen English.
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