Padilla Statement on Trump Administration’s Last Minute Election Security Plan

Overdue plan comes after Trump Administration defunded election security efforts, fired staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections:

"Donald Trump isn't serious about election security. His Administration's newly released election security plan is the product of an election denier in chief who has spent his time in office installing like-minded conspiracy theorists in leadership positions across the federal government.

"After the President rehashed his tired conspiracy theories during his White House address in July, Secretary Mullin promised an election security plan within 30 days, along with DHS assistance for state and local election officials. The deadline came and went, voting is underway for the midterm elections, and the Trump Administration has gutted DHS's election cybersecurity work. Election security staff has been fired and funding for state and local election officials has been cut, allowing mis- and disinformation to run rampant while denying election officials the tools to counter it. Meanwhile, the Administration is even withholding counterterrorism and disaster funds unless states go along with voter purging and voter suppression efforts.

"While CISA claims to be changing course and offering to help state and local governments with election security, this report does not do that. The Administration must restore the Election Infrastructure ISAC funding as Congress has directed - and then support legislation like my State and Local Election Security Act of 2026 to provide state and local election officials with the resources they need to modernize voting equipment and defend against any potential interference and cyberattacks."

As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections and California's former Secretary of State, Padilla has been a vocal leader in protecting our elections. Earlier this month, Padilla and Congressman Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee, demanded the Trump Administration immediately restore funding to the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), which helps state and local election officials protect federal elections from cybersecurity threats and election mis- and disinformation campaigns.

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