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Don’t shut states out on security

Computerized segments of West Virginia’s voting system were among those in 21 states Russian hackers tried to infiltrate last year. Yet then-Secretary of State Natalie Tennant was not told. Until earlier this month, neither was her successor, Mac Warner.

It is not difficult to understand why federal intelligence officials did not inform state election officers of the hacking attempt. Often — too often, one sometimes suspects — the spy agencies keep secrets because they do not want our adversaries to know their efforts have been detected. Frequently, the justification is that if cyber-saboteurs learn they have been detected, they also will gain knowledge of our security methods.

Still, the fact state election officials were kept in the dark is more than a little disturbing. Those in positions such as Warner’s are charged with ensuring elections are fair and honest, after all.

Federal officials told Warner of the hacking earlier this month. The revelation prompted him to seek national security clearance for himself and at least one other person in the secretary of state’s office. Presumably, Warner expects the clearance would allow him to be given information that otherwise might be kept from him.

Clearly, some means of letting state election officers in on the matter of election security is imperative, for several reasons. Not the least important is that they have far more knowledge of the voting processes in their states than do federal cybersecurity operatives. One cannot make any system truly secure unless one understands all its nuts and bolts.

Secrecy regarding the mere fact of hacking attempts by the Russians raises another concern: Though inquiries in general about the matter have drawn the response that no state’s election systems were compromised, is that the full truth?

Or, instead, did Moscow have some success in tampering with U.S. elections? Did the Kremlin’s hackers learn enough to disable computerized voting equipment and/or systems?

Failure to get Warner and other state election officials in the loop on this one was more than rude — it could have dangerous ramifications. Making election security a partnership rather than solely the realm of federal intelligence agencies should be a priority.

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